


Vader in time

by SWModdy



Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Suspense, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2019-05-01 08:17:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 22,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14516208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SWModdy/pseuds/SWModdy
Summary: He’s given a new chance. Or rather Vader takes the new chance as he feels the death of Obi-Wan somewhere out in the wide galaxy, the Jedi passing utterly alone without Vader there and in a moment of madness everything becomes clear… so he takes a new chance for himself. By going back.And this time Palpatine shall not take it all from him.





	1. Tear apart the galaxy for

There are things Vader would tear the galaxy apart for, he’d tear the galaxy apart for Padme, he’d tear the galaxy apart for the child he never got to meet and he’d tear it apart to get his body back to functioning.

There is one last thing he’s willing to tear the galaxy apart for, just one more thing he knows he’d tear the bloody galaxy apart and leave a swatch of blood and gore and shit everywhere he went.

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s face hovering above him full of concern as he holds the small head of Anakin Skywalker in his lap, the swing of a padawan braid still hanging from behind his ear and the sound of what Vader remembers as birds only native to Naboo.

He closes his eyes again, body sore as he feels a gentle brush against his temple by a thumb. “Anakin?” Comes the quiet whisper, worried in its sound.

“Mmm…” Vader got out quietly before meeping a bit when he was shifted and picked up by Obi-Wan, feeling the Jedi hurrying off with him to… somewhere.

He wondered where.

()()()

So apparently he’d managed to go back in time and Vader wonders for a long moment how he managed it as he sits in Obi-Wan’s lap. His young body however hadn’t handled the fact that Vader’s spirit had entered the body very well and had gone into seizures during the process.

It had scared Obi-Wan because he wasn’t letting Anakin out of his sight and allowed him to crawl into his lap and all after the medic had checked the blond over.

That was where Obi-Wan had brought him after the seizure.

Qui-Gon was not yet cremated, Obi-Wan had yet to have his braid cut and the council had yet to arrive.

But he was Obi-Wan again.

Vader’s Obi-Wan now and he was never going to let the other one go now that he had him.

He tightened his arms around the other as much as he could and smiled into his chest when the redhead hesitantly stroked his back, the other still trying to figure out where in Vader’s life he fits.

Well not so much Vader’s as ‘Anakin’s’ but… he doesn’t have to know that.

Vader settles his head on Obi-Wan’s chest, listening to the sound of his heart through the others chest and feeling the others Force sensation.

His Obi-Wan.

No one else, he’d slaughter anyone who touched his Obi-Wan. Drive them insane, cut them up, shove them of a cliff with the Force if he could.

He’d have to be careful about that though, if he was caught, if he changed to much if he _did_ too much then someone would figure it out and that was something he couldn’t have because they would take him away from Obi-Wan.

“…Do… Do you still miss your mother?” Obi-Wan questioned hesitantly before shaking his head and scoffing a bit. “Of course you miss her, that was a stupid question but… I could try to get a trip to Tatooine arranged.”

Making a soft noise at that, Vader lifted his head from the others chest to peer at him. “…I’d like to see her if I could.” He whispered.

Nodding warily, Obi-Wan put on his best smile despite the circumstances.


	2. 'I loved you!'

Its all so different now.

Vader has become so used to being in pain every day, confined in his armor like a prison of durasteel and technology to keep him alive and keep him breathing but the same thing that kept him alive, kept him in pain for years after his Fall.

Pain beyond what even burning on Mustafar’s shore, prolonged and never properly soothed, never really healed and always a constant reminder of everything he had lost.

At one point he had wondered if he deserved it for everything he had done.

For killing Padme and their unborn child, for betraying the Order even if he had hated the council there had been others who not deserved that fate.

And then there was Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan’s sweaty, dirty and teary face on the banks of Mustafar.

‘You were my brother Anakin, I loved you!’

The words would sometimes echo in his mind in the long days he spent at his castle on Mustafar that Sidious had built for him, overseeing the spot where he had lost three limbs and burned.

But now it was different.

His young ten year old body was free of pain, could breath without assistance and all he really had to do was allow the Healers to give him all the immunization shots slavers didn’t want to ‘waste’ on their slaves. Hell, Vader could now take a piss without hurting his damn bits.

The added benefit of Obi-Wan taking him to visit his mother was that they had freed her. Apparently young Obi-Wan had not known that Anakin had been a slave and Vader wondered when in the previous time line Obi-Wan had learned that if he hadn’t been aware of it at the start.

It was surprising that Qui-Gon hadn’t told the redhead…

Regardless, she was free now, free and on her way to Alderaan to make a new life on a green world with no slavery that was known to actually take in slaves who had earned their freedom and help them adjust.

Vader hadn’t known that.

Perhaps he should have but he hadn’t.

But at least his mother was now safe, at least safer then on Tatooine and now she had better prospect for her life.

Talking about prospects for life…

Vader was going to have to be careful.

He wasn’t stupid by any means and he knew the Council was watching both him and Obi-Wan closely as the man trained his young body to handle the physical exercise that Jedi life demanded. Then there was his mind…

It was hard to pretend to not know these things, hard to pretend he wasn’t aware but Vader…

Vader would not lose his Obi-Wan.

And he had a complicated choice to make. In the long years since her death, he had never stopped thinking about Padme but slowly, year by year, his grief had slowly… given. He had mourned his love but knew she was dead.

Now she was alive, she was still his but…

Did he want to reach for her again, wrap around her and keep his angel all for him or should he keep his distance?

He knew what the future could bring if he did that, he would make his angel fall if he reached for her. And then there was Palpatine.

A spike of rage went off low in his stomach that he quickly hid behind his shields even as Obi-Wan looked up in worry from his pad to peer down at where Anakin was working on a motor for one of the droids of the temple as the blond leaned against his master’s legs for closeness.

He knew that Palpatine would try his little game but this time…

This time Vader would not be tricked, he was no naive boy anymore even if he had a part to play.

The future was so much wider now and Vader had many choices to make for it.

“Anakin, are you alright?” Obi-Wan questioned softly and Vader looked up, giving the other a small smile.

“Yeah, I’m good.” He settled his cheek against Obi-Wan’s knee, keeping relaxed until Obi-Wan returned the smile with one of his own as he eased back to the pad he was reading.

“Alright… tell me if you need anything or just have a question.” His master murmured, smiling a bit more when Anakin rubbed his cheek against the knee.


	3. Tears

Burying his head in his arms, Vader took a thick breath as Obi-Wan continued to slowly bandage his mangled up right leg as the knight continued to whisper comfort to him. For the second time since he came back in time, he felt like the ten year old he was pretending to be.

The first time had been when his mother had hugged him after she had been freed.

This time it was because he couldn’t stop quietly crying into his arm after his leg had been gored by a large herbivore that looked like a bovine of some sort as the two had been making their way through the jungle towards the city they suspected the tainted emergency supplies had been coming from.

And yet Obi-Wan was there for him. Had tended to the initial wound, set up camp and then settled Vader into the tent so he could properly tend to the abused limb with bacta and some healing Force that he knew.

But it was more then the pain.

It was the feeling of Obi-Wan now that he had sunk himself down into the Force, was sharing it with Vader because…

Obi-Wan had died.

Vader’s Obi-Wan had died, somewhere in the galaxy without Vader ever seeing him again and Vader had _felt_ it happen.

Had felt Obi-Wan’s life slowly slipping away, heard the heart beats slow in his head until the other was no more and…

It had been the drop.

The last thing he had left in the galaxy that had been truly something he had cared about. Be it for revenge or for…

Something else.

But Vader couldn’t handle the galaxy without Obi-Wan in it and had sought a way back. Selfishly going back and here he was and he could feel Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan and his warm Force and his accented voice.

“Oh Anakin, I’m so sorry.” A callused hand carefully wiped at his tears and he lifted his head fully from his arms to look blearily at the other with reddened eyes, giving a little sniff as Obi-Wan stared back at him in obvious concern. “I don’t have any stronger painkillers I can give you.” The man fretted quietly before shifting up and settling the blonds head in his lap, stroking his hair. “Can you try meditating like I showed you? It would help you escape the pain for a while.” He questioned instead.

Swallowing and nodding into Obi-Wan’s lap, Anakin croaked out an affirmative.

Honestly the pain would not stop him from meditating, a life in a durasteel suit of a prison had taught Vader the patience to meditate where Anakin could not find the peace to do it, funny how that worked out.

Slowly he let himself sink into the Force with his head on Obi-Wan’s lap, latching onto the warmth of the redhead’s signature and wrapped himself up in it as best as he could, just to hold onto that bright light of warmth that was Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan’s beautiful and calm light, like a meadow during a sunny morning, peeking through the trees.


	4. Secrets

Anakin Skywalker had never really been a person who had played for the long game, a brilliant tactician in the moment who could turn a battle but he had never played a grand-scale war, hadn’t really been one for chess as it was.

But Vader had learned to be.

Pain had taught him the patience his youth had never been known for.

He didn’t have time to mess around anymore now that he had Obi-Wan firmly wrapped up in his grasp, his master a soft and proud smiling person in his life as he tried to teach ‘Anakin’ the game of the galaxy.

But Vader didn’t have time to mess about, he knew that Palpatine was out there and ready to grasp for power.

He was pretty sure the other had already murdered his master when he became chancellor but he couldn’t be quite sure.

Still.

A man like Palpatine had secrets, the secrets he and his master had built up through the decades of trying to become masters of the galaxy.

And Vader knew where to look for proof.

All he needed was a little chance to find it and then…

A wry smirk curled the edges of his lips at that thought. He wouldn’t go to the Senate, he knew that the Senate would just swipe Palpatine’s corruption under its carpets but there existed a wide galaxy out there and a wide holonet to spread information.

People would be calling for Palpatine’s blood soon enough once Vader had his proof.

Rage had aided him in his previous life, rage had made him powerful but rage had also made him reckless and Vader had learned his lessons with fire, pain, grief and loss.

And so Vader would temper his rage and sharpen it into what he needed, the blade to slide between Palpatine’s vertebrates and end his life.

Until then he was content to play pretend and stick to Obi-Wan’s side as he protected his master as best he could without exposing just how much he knew.

And hey, his mind might be older and he might be able to use the Force in ways Jedi never could because no one had Anakin’s power level, but his body was freaking young and he needed to build that up.

‘Time travel novels didn’t warn me about this concept.’ Vader thought wryly to himself as his muscles trembled with exhaustion as he repeated the wind walker kata stance again and again to Obi-Wan’s satisfaction with sweat pouring down his face and body.

“Wonderful Anakin, you’re doing well.” Obi-Wan suddenly praised him, Vader almost falling on his rear in shock as he leveled the other a surprised look that made Obi-Wan laugh warmly at him. “Oh come now, I do praise you occasionally padawan.” He teased gently before showing Vader the next position of the wind walker.

“…Yeah Master, you do.” Vader smiled a bit and followed the others man position. ‘You’re beautiful when you laugh Obi-Wan.’

It took the time traveler about a minute to realize what he just thought.

He promptly fell on his arse with wide eyes. ‘What the kark was that?’


	5. Was he bait?

This couldn’t be right.

Vader frowned at the screen in confusion for a long moment and then looked around the Archives, eyes lingering on Madam Nu for a few seconds before returning his eyes to the terminal. Since Madam Nu had deleted the entire Archive before he could get to it, all records had been destroyed with no backups.

All that knowledge.

Ancient text.

Rituals.

History.

And the personal records of every Jedi and the corps in the entire galaxy. Wiped away in seconds by the head Archivist denying Vader its content. Though he guessed he couldn’t blame her even if he had been enraged back then. ‘At least it also denied Sidious the Jedi’s knowledge.’ He thought in grim satisfaction as he remembered how Sidious had raged at the Grand Inquisitor for distracting Vader so Nu could escape to delete the entire library.

But because of said destruction of the library, Vader had never gotten the chance to read Obi-Wan’s folder either.

He had that chance now, slicing into it since he didn’t want Obi-Wan to know but…

He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t known this.

Obi-Wan hadn’t been picked by Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan had been sent away to Agricore to become a farmer and it left him so confused. Of all the corps, why the Agricore?

There was nothing wrong with it at all, honestly coming from a desert world, Vader knew the value of someone who could grow food and had seen the amazing skills of the agri-masters and the skills of their botanists. Often it were the Agricore members job to teach people how to grow their own food after disasters or even make planets habitable which made them amazingly skilled masters in their own genre of the Force.

It was just…

Obi-Wan’s undeniable Force presence could do better as a soul healer, with his ability in the Unifying Force. Or if not that than his skills in piloting even at that age should have made him go to the Exploration corps.

But he had been sent to be a farmer and sent alone at that.

The few who had been sent away when Anakin had been a child had always had an adult with them and true, Qui-Gon Jinn had been on the same ship as Obi-Wan but…

‘Did Obi-Wan feel safe with him then? They didn’t really know each other…’ Vader considered that as he flickered his eyes over the rest of the text. There were so many instances in Obi-Wan’s folder that was just…

Wrong.

The whole mess with Xanatos, and Vader knew to read between the lines which told him that Obi-Wan had been part of the death of an Initiate. Probation. Leaving the Order. Countless lists of injuries. The year on Mandalore where Qui-Gon had added a personal note of the closeness Obi-Wan had with Satine but that the teen had eventually chosen the Order.

And then there was the list of injuries and disease Obi-Wan had gone through over the long years. At his age even for a Jedi, it shouldn’t be that long.

‘What did he do, use himself for bait every second mission?’ Vader wondered shakily then paused in his own thought to review that to his own memories, distorted as they were.


	6. For me?

He calms himself by saying that what he’s doing is not to be cruel or hurt, its to protect as he uses the dark side of the Force.

But Vader still waits until they are far away from the temple and he’s been separated from Obi-Wan on a planet that’s already darkened where no one can feel what he’s up to.

Because he still knows he has to be careful.

The moment the Council senses something wrong with him…

Well Vader knows better then to trust those old bastards to listen to him. And Obi-Wan is still so rule abiding despite claiming Anakin as his padawan against the wishes of the Council, his rebellion will not stray far enough to protect a Sith in his padawan, not yet.

Which is why he waits until there is distance and darkness already to hide the alchemy and Sith magic he learned by studying on his own away from the Emperor.

If Obi-Wan won’t protect himself… then Vader shall.

Grimly satisfied, he pulls an amulet out of a small pot that he knows he has to dispose of. He will simply claim he lost it in the skirmish, its just a measly cooking pot honestly that wouldn’t get looked into too much.

And this amulet…

Vader stared at the japor snippet in his hand, remembering the one he had gifted to Padme. He wondered if she still wore it and breathed out, firmly reminding himself he was not walking that path regardless of what.

That path was over.

That path had lead to grief and pain and her death.

She deserved so much more then what Anakin Skywalker had done to her and Vader would ensure she lived a long life even if that meant not being involved in it.

But Obi-Wan…

He and Obi-Wan had always belonged together, each a part of the Force, each part of each other.

And he’d make sure the other stayed safe, even if that meant giving his blood in a little Sith alchemy.

()()()

“You… made this for me while hiding?” Obi-Wan blinked down at the little snippet of japor in his hand before looking at his slightly messy padawan, who had a black eye and a cut on the cheek.

Anakin beamed at him and nodded. “Uhu, I didn’t want to get anyone’s attention while hiding so I did something quiet.” He chirped, rocking back and forth on his heels in the mud.

“You should have meditated.” Obi-Wan scolded quietly before smiling to soften his words. “But thank you padawan, for this gift. I’ll get it on a string soon.” He chuckled softly, closing his fingers around the rounded, carved japor.

Strange, it felt almost warm in his hand as Anakin beamed up at him with utter glee before the teen threw his arms around Obi-Wan’s waist in a tight hug.

Resting his hand on top of the spiky hair of a rather unfortunate padawan haircut, Obi-Wan smiled fondly down at him, wondering when he had gotten so attached to the strange child Qui-Gon had brought from the desert and into the temple’s life.


	7. White lies

Blinking up at the ceiling for a long moment, Obi-Wan finally manage to lift his head and peek down at his chest where Anakin was latched onto him with his arms around the knight’s waist. “Ani?” He wheezed.

“Don’t make me go to him!” Anakin cried out, eyes wide, looking truly panicked.

“What?” Obi-Wan finally sat up quickly, pushing the blond back to look at him properly. “Don’t make you go where Anakin? What’s wrong?” He held the others face.

The blond gave a little sniffle that alarmed Obi-Wan even more as Anakin shifted to sit on Obi-Wan’s knees, straddling them as he twisted his right sleeve with his let hand. “T-The Chancellor. He… he told Master Windu that the council could send me to him for conversations but the chancellor creeps me out and I don’t want to be alone with him and please don’t send me to the Rotund, I promise to be good Master Obi-Wan!”

A proverbial verbal diarrhea was escaping Anakin, rushed and panicked in its delivery that was only cut off when Obi-Wan pulled his young padawan tightly against his chest, hushing him while rocking the teenager who trembled against his chest.

“No, no I won’t send you to the Senate, to the Chancellor. Calm down Anakin, I’ll talk with the Senate and explain you don’t feel comfortable with the man.” Obi-Wan crooned, one arm wrapped around the boys shaking frame and the other cupping the back of his padawan’s head to press him against Obi-Wan’s collarbone. “I promise not to leave you with him alone.” He assured.

Face pressed to the folds of Obi-Wan’s collar, Anakin’s smile was hidden from the galaxy.

()()()

Resting against Obi-Wan’s side as the older man napped, Vader only felt a bit bad for taking advantage of the others protective instincts.

Just a bit.

But he couldn’t allow being left alone with Sidious as the other Sith was sure to expose him for what he was if left too long in the others presence. Because Vader knew that the other wasn’t stupid by any means and he wasn’t going to give him a chance to discover the truth.

Slowly Vader reached up and wrapped his hand around the japor amulet around his master’s neck, smiling at the slacked face as he felt the heat of the amulet responding to the creator of it.

He would make sure to make Obi-Wan a great lunch as apology for taking advantage off him, perhaps even a dessert though Vader wasn’t quite sure about managing anything too fancy. Perhaps just a jiggly sort of pudding or even just a fruit dessert?

Obi-Wan would like that, he knew.

‘My pretty, wonderful Obi-Wan.’ He thought fondly before shifting up slowly and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, carefully slipping off the couch to drop into the kitchen to get started on the lunch as Obi-Wan continued resting on the couch with soft puffs of air escaping him.

It was best Obi-Wan ate before he talked to the council.

‘I wonder if I can be in the room when he explains why I don’t want to see Palpatine.’ He mused, a small smirk crossing his face at the thought. Maybe he could play it up a bit, shuffle his feet around, muttering about creepy men and how he stared at ‘Anakin’.

Oh he could already imagine the throbbing vein in Windu’s temple…


	8. That was something

Twisting the hem of his tunic in his hands, Vader managed to peek at Windu while pretending to be more occupied about his feet then really meeting anyone’s eyes for sure. It was just to act unsure and a bit frightened and the council was swallowing it whole since their perception of ‘Anakin’ was an emotional mess basically.

‘Look at how it throbs. Oh Force I shouldn’t find this funny, he might actually burst it and that would be bad for him.’ Vader kept his amusement lidded as he projected his fear, worry and uncertainty instead.

And there was also the fact that he needed Mace Windu. Or so he assumed at least since Mace Windu was an extremely capable Jedi who Vader remembered had gone toe to toe with Palpatine and had almost killed him if it hadn’t been for Anakin’s betrayal right at the end.

‘If anything is to happen, I hope Windu’s there to deal with it. He would at the very least manage to subdue and kill Palpatine should he be there when the chips are down.’ He mused to himself even as he shuffled closer to Obi-Wan’s side.

“Padawan Skywalker.” Windu got out through gritted teeth and if Vader didn’t know better, he’d say the man looked faintly nauseous. “Are you implying that you think the Chancellor is…” He struggled to find the right word.

Oh Vader wanted to laugh. He knew what the others thought he was implying, that the Chancellor was interested in kids!

If it wasn’t so horrifying it would be hilarious.

But hey, if it worked out in his advantage…

‘Anakin’ shrugged meekly and looked up at Obi-Wan, the redhead smiling down at him while resting what he assumed was a comforting and encouraging hand on ‘Anakin’s’ shoulder.

Squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath, ‘Anakin’ spoke up again. “I don’t know. But I don’t want to be alone with him, he scares me with the way he looks at me and the Force tells me that I shouldn’t be alone with him.” He whispered.

Vader may be coating his act a bit thick.

But it was working from the way the Council was communicating rapidly.

Yoda eventually called them all to silence, ears twitching as they shifted from raising and pinning down while staring at Vader. “Frightened you are of him, to him we will not send you. Safe you can be in that statement as alone we will not leave you with him.” Then he turned his head to Plo. “But evidence we do not have to act on.”

Plo grunted a bit, having been one of the more vocal ones that they should investigate Palpatine because of the statements. “We can still investigate him.” He argued quietly.

“We can speak about that later.” Mace cut in before Yoda and Plo could start arguing, sitting up. “But for now we dismiss Padawan Skywalker and Knight Kenobi.” His intention was pretty blatant.

He didn’t want the two privy to the council’s argument but that may be the headache making it hard for him.

Force, Vader was actually feeling a bit sorry for the man.

Just a bit.

Both him and Obi-Wan bowed, Obi-Wan’s hand still on his shoulder as they steadily made their way out of the chamber and into the elevator. “…Well, that was something.” Obi-Wan noted quietly before squeezing down on the others shoulder and smiling down at him. “Well done Anakin, do you feel up to some sparring? You feel jittery.”

Leaning into the touch, Vader nodded eagerly. “I finished all my homework so yes please.”

Chuckling a bit, Obi-Wan nodded. “Your teachers tell me you’re breezing through the material. I’m very proud of how well you’re managing yourself even if you have some trouble with controlling your emotions.” He teased.

Grinning and even giggling ever so slightly, Vader shrugged. “Meditation is hard.”

“We’ll get there.” Obi-Wan assured, his smile pulling out the dimples of his cheeks and Force, the warmth that spread inside of Vader was worth all of this pretend he had to go through.

“Yes we will Master.” Vader murmured confidently.


	9. Glow in the dark paint

Staring at the teen in disbelief, Obi-Wan finally choked out a few words. “You drew dicks on the lecture table with glow in the dark paint?” He got out weakly.

Rubbing his clearly paint coated hands together, Anakin smiled meekly up at the other before shrugging a bit. “Eum…” He shuffled a bit though he didn’t get far with the grip of Yan Dooku on his shoulder.

Rubbing his forehead, Obi-Wan slowly looked from Anakin and up to the older Jedi beside Anakin. “I am so sorry Master Dooku. I don’t know what’s gotten into him, Anakin is usually more well behaved.” He winced, not wanting to admit to the man that sometimes the teen acted out when he was bored.

He honestly didn’t think the older man would appreciate the thought that he was boring Anakin.

Snorting a bit, Dooku finally let go of Anakin to let the boy scuttle to his master’s side.

Settling his own hand on Anakin’s shoulder, Obi-Wan gave him a sever look. “Apologies to master Dooku Anakin.” He scolded quietly.

Looking up at the redhead and then back to the gray haired man standing there with a raised brow, Anakin bowed to the Jedi master. “I’m sorry great grandmaster Dooku.” He mumbled out, peering up at him.

Obi-Wan’s brows jumped up on his forehead in surprise before looking at Dooku again with new eyes as Yan let his hands drop a bit from his surprise. “…You know who I am.” Yan said in bemusement before a slow smirk crossed his face. “You did this on purpose.”

Anakin apologetic face slowly morphed into a small, devious smirk.

Staring at the teen in in flabbergasted shock, Obi-Wan finally drew his hand over his hair before he let out a slightly hysterical laugh. “Oh Ani!”

()()()

Pulling his eyes off the tea leaves steaming, Vader peered at the couch where Obi-Wan and Dooku were speaking about Qui-Gon, both laughing over some of the most vicious beasts the long haired Jedi used to feel responsible for.

Dooku had even regaled Obi-Wan with tales of how the mans padawan had at one time smuggled a nexus cub into the temple and tried to hide it in their quarters.

‘He looks happy.’ Vader smiled to himself before reaching into one of the lower cupboards for a tray to put a plate on with scones on. Obi-Wan had started keeping them when he discovered Vader had a taste for them.

Now he was going to serve them up to his great grandmaster and master as the two spoke about a person they had both held in fondest regard.

‘And maybe, just maybe Obi-Wan can heal a bit with Dooku perhaps deciding to stay in the order because his grand- and great grandpadawan needed him. It was a gamble Vader was willing to take because there was always someone else who’d become the apprentice Palpatine needed but for now, he would deny him anymore from his linage that would damage Obi-Wan’s fragile heart even more.

He’d be the steel cage around Obi-Wan’s heart, the shield to guard it and all the emotions he hid beneath a placid mask.

Glancing back when he heard a soft laugh, Vader smiled to himself at the warmth in Obi-Wan’s voice and the stirrings of warmth in Dooku’s eyes, as if the ice around a frozen heart was slowly melting in the face of this redhead.

‘Yeah… he has that affect when he’s genuinely happy.’ Vader wanted to comment but kept it to himself.

Instead he just basked in the pulsing light that was Obi-Wan at that moment.


	10. Never defenseless

Poking at the fires with the stick, Vader mused at the warmth as he rested back against Obi-Wan’s body with the older (wait, was he technically older then Obi-Wan now considering it all?) kept his robe wrapped around his padawan’s body.

“So how come you didn’t know I was a slave?” He finally asked. “How come Master Jinn didn’t tell you?” He looked up in confusion.

Obi-Wan hummed a bit, rubbing ‘Anakin’s’ sides gently as the snow fell outside the rock formation that had become a makeshift cave with the ice. “To be honest I should have known the moment I saw you, but I at the time assumed your family was just poor.” He murmured honestly. “As for master Qui-Gon…” Obi-Wan sighed a bit, looking away before looking back down at the blond leaning back against his chest. “I think he didn’t want to say anything just yet until he had time to properly speak to you about it. We’ve had former slaves become Jedi before but you were the oldest and therefor your… experience and autonomy would be considered higher. He more then likely didn’t consider it his right to inform me of your prior state without speaking to you first and by the time everything happened… he couldn’t anymore.” He whispered.

Vader stared up at him for a long moment before looking back at the fire. “…Oh.” He whispered.

Obi-Wan rested his chin on top of the blond spikes. “He could be infuriating. But he could also be utterly selfless. He was like all humans are, diverse, flawed and utterly humane.” He laughed quietly.

Vader mulled on that before speaking again. “You’re trying to tell me we’re all human and make mistakes, aren’t you.”

There was a soft chuckle above him, Obi-Wan shifting them a bit to hug Anakin instead while rubbing his cheek against the soft spikes of Vader’s hair which caused his beard to prickle a bit against the others scalp. “Well there is that too. But mostly I was just talking about someone I knew. I can’t explain you his thought process but we had little time after we picked you up and there were… problems that prevented us from speaking properly.” Obi-Wan whispered that last before letting Anakin go again and settling him back on his lap.

Now that Vader knew what meant.

That chasm that had opened when Jinn had tried to claim Vader in front of the council, basically renouncing Obi-Wan in front of people he wanted to respect him.

But he didn’t say that, instead he just hummed and wiggled a bit more back against the other until he could feel the shape of the amulet he had given Obi-Wan against his shoulder, smiling at the sensation.

With that he would always know that Obi-Wan was safe, even from Sidious.

Honestly, it was a good thing Obi-Wan kept it hidden beneath his robe most of the time, if Sidious was ever to get a look at it, he would know it was a Sith artifact.

A Jedi would not know what they were looking at but a Sith would recognize a Sith artifact when looking at it in touching distance. But the risk was worth it, for it would keep Obi-Wan safe even from mental invasion by anyone who tried to attack his mind, to expel them violently and rebound them in punishment.

And if the attack was physical when Obi-Wan was unable to defend himself…

Vader let a small smirk twist his lips at the thought since Obi-Wan couldn’t see his face.

Oh, they would wish they had never so much glanced at Obi-Wan in his helpless state.


	11. The clock stopped

Sitting there quietly on the medical cot, Obi-Wan finally looked at the council members and gave a helpless shrug. “I’m sorry masters, I honestly don’t know what’s going on anymore than any of you. I hadn’t noticed either.” He said quietly.

Unobtrusively, Vader shifted a bit against the wall he was leaning against. He hadn’t calculated for this but forgive him if he wasn’t always sure of the things Sidious had taught him, after all, it wasn’t as if the man had been the greatest master in any way.

So the fact that the amulet had apparently stopped Obi-Wan’s biological age was a surprise.

At least the healers couldn’t pin down when it happened as that might make Obi-Wan suspicious but now Vader had to figure out how to reverse that side effect of the amulet without anyone knowing and that was going to be difficult even as the masters of the council bickered around them.

Eventually Yoda tapped his cane down for attention. “So far, benevolent this seems, mission restricted Knight Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker will not be but keep an eye on this we will have to.” He frowned before smiling, ears twitching a bit. “Blame you we do not Obi-Wan, this clearly not of your make is.”

Obi-Wan gave a wry little grin before sighing. “Honestly its a bit concerning I’d say. How young would you say I am healer Ir?” He looked to the nautolan.

“Somewhere between twenty five to twenty eight I’d say.” The healer hummed, peering at the blood sample readout. “But its hard to say. You’re suppose to be thirty now yes?”

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. “Yes. So I’m a few years younger at least…” He mulled over that, clearly troubled with his Force aura growing heavy.

Unable to keep to himself, Vader pushed from the wall and walked to the bed, smiling at his master. “Well, at least you aren’t going to get those gray hairs yet that you tell me I’m causing master.” He teased, delighted when Obi-Wan’s Force instantly brightened with amusement.

“We’ll see about that padawan.” Obi-Wan snarked back. “Some humans grow gray early because of stress, that’s what you’re going to do.” He teased back.

Eventually they were both allowed to leave, nothing else the healers or the councilors could do for now.

Vader however was left in a conundrum as to how to get the japor snippet to examine it and get Obi-Wan back on his natural aging clock.

The man practically never took it off!

‘…I’m going to have to sneak into his bedroom to steal it, aren’t I?’ Vader finally resigned to himself as Obi-Wan lead them to the commissary, obviously hungry and to be honest, so was Vader. The healers had kept them for hours, checking Obi-Wan in all sorts of manners, physically, spiritually and through all kinds of medical tests they could come up with and then some!

So food sounded karking great.

“I can smell grilled tubers.” He moaned as they closed in on the closest commissary.

Laughing at that, Obi-Wan settled his arm around his padawan’s shoulder, peering at him in amusement. “Someones hungry.”

“Oi, I’m a growing teen, I’m always hungry.” Vader returned with a small laugh even as Obi-Wan eyed him through narrowed eyes.

“If you grow any further, you’re going to become as tall as Qui-Gon was.” He drawled.

Knowing he didn’t quite reach that height, Vader did nothing but grin at his master, burrowing close into the others side. “Maybe so, maybe so.”


	12. You are skilled

Handing Obi-Wan a screwdriver, Anakin sighed deeply. “You should have told me you were this good at fixing things.” He said sternly, arm tucked to his chest in a sling.

Peeking up from the engine he had been laying under to fix, Obi-Wan blinked at him. “One, please be more respectful, I am your teacher and two, what do you mean?” He sounded puzzled.

Gesturing to the broken motor, Anakin pursed his lips. “You keep downplaying your skills but look at this, you’re just as good as me at fixing things clearly. Yet you’ve told me that you don’t have the skills for it. Not to mention-” He glared at Obi-Wan when the other opened his mouth. “You’re an A class pilot despite you always saying that flying is for droids and you can keep up with me. You do this all the time and even when you admit you’re good at something, you downplay that too. There’s such a thing as being humble and than there is self flagellation.” He peered seriously at the other man.

Obi-Wan stared at him before sighing and pulling himself out from under the motor, sitting up instead while peering at his usually so well behaved padawan.

Honestly he had no idea what had gotten into him lately!

He had been so proud of Anakin lately because so many masters commented on how well behaved Anakin was and how skilled he was, that Obi-Wan was doing a good job with teaching a padawan!

But lately he had been so… challenging.

Though only about Obi-Wan really.

“…Anakin, Jedi are suppose to be humble, not arroga-”

“Master, you’re the humblest of Jedi. Having pride in your skills is not a shameful thing. Only arrogance and if you stop listening to others, _you_ taught me that.” Anakin peered at him seriously before raising both his brows. “And shouldn’t you lead by example instead of always putting yourself down?” He added.

Mouth dropping a bit open Obi-Wan let out a small noise before laughing outright. “Oh Anakin you…” He covered his mouth with his empty hand, smiling behind it before chuckling a bit more. “…If I try stopping this… self flagellation as you call it, will you start listening to me again and stop interrupting me?” He raised his brow.

Anakin gave him a suspicious look before grinning and nodding before gesturing to the motor. “Lets get this done now. I’d rather not be here when the smugglers figures out the ship didn’t blow up but just crashed.” He grinned.

“And we need to get you to a healer.” Obi-Wan laid back down and pulled himself back under the motor to work. “Because believe me padawan, you may be shielding but I can tell you are in pain.” He huffed a bit. “Trying to hide that from me…” He delved into a low mutter as he worked.

Watching Obi-Wan with an utterly fond look, Vader shook his head lightly.

It wasn’t like the other could know Vader went through practically decades of pain in a suit and the pain from the crash and his fractured arm was practically nothing compared to that as long as Vader could push it off into the Force carefully.

As he stood there, handing Obi-Wan tools as the Jedi fixed the motor to working condition, Vader tilted his head curiously while watching Obi-Wan. ‘I wonder how he’d look now if we shaved his beard away.’ He pondered.

Maybe Vader could needle the other into it, wouldn’t be fair to trick him into shaving his beard after all. Maybe if he could get Obi-Wan to shave his beard… he could also get his hand on the amulet at the same time? Promise Obi-Wan to look after it while he took his beard.

Pondering that idea while handing Obi-Wan a few bolts, Vader grinned a bit as he plotted.


	13. The clock that stopped for now

Rubbing his thumb over the amulet, Vader stared at it in surprise.

Well maybe more like confusion and awe as the heated japor he had carved and murmured old ritualistic words over what felt like ages ago now whispered back the consequences of his actions. As long as Obi-Wan wore the amulet, he would not age until Vader’s body reached the same age.

So when Vader finally reached the same age as him in physical form, the Force would let go of him once again to the process of aging.

But at the same time, with the time between them, if Obi-Wan was to die…

So would Vader.

They were tied firmly together by the Force.

He understood why an utterly selfish Sith would reject this kind of magic since it relied on someone else to be kept safe.

So this was why Obi-Wan was no longer aging.

He could have laughed.

He had feared a bit that he had done something wrong, something detrimental to Obi-Wan but no, the amulet had only stopped the process until Vader could catch up.

That was frankly amazing and the Sith turned Jedi again grinned as he sat back and listened to Obi-Wan’s shower, the necklace in hand as he had promised to keep it safe for Obi-Wan.

‘I wonder how much else knowledge has been lost by being considered ‘useless’ or ‘unnecessary’?’ Vader mused to himself with a small smile.

Maybe he could drop by the library if they stayed long enough in the temple and take a look?

Or maybe if he and Obi-Wan were sent to the temple Eedit again he could take a look at the library there.

He knew it wasn’t as grand as the library of Coruscant but there were less safeguards there on the information that had been hidden from others and he knew that Master Altinn was of a different sort of Jedi compared to Yoda.

The old goat.

Hmm goblin?

Goat, goblin or troll?

Eh, whatever, each fit.

“Just don’t say it out loud padawan.” An amused voice said and Vader looked up quickly, smiling sheepishly as Obi-Wan stood there in his shower robe, hair pulled into a short tail in the neck. He was clearly still moist from the shower but was done with it.

Expectantly, Obi-Wan held out his hand and Vader quickly handed over the amulet and watched Obi-Wan put it on with a small smile. “I wouldn’t master, that be a sure way to get myself in trouble with him.”

Chuckling warmly, Obi-Wan ruffled his short spikes with a moist hand and then made his way towards his bedroom to throw on some proper clothes and most likely dry off his hair. ‘And put on that lotion he doesn’t think I know he has.’ Vader sniggered to himself.

And then he had to cover his face as certain images provoked certain reactions. ‘Curse this adolescent body. I swear, it was easier to control pain receptors then it is to control unwanted erections!’ He pouted down at his leggings before sighing and rolling his eyes and getting up.

A cold shower for him it was.

Or maybe a warm one and just deal with it…


	14. Pretty

“So you’re going to have to shave?” Anakin blinked at him, watching Obi-Wan closely as the teen sat on the arm of the couch instead of sitting like a proper person on it.

“Mmmn, yes. Normally they’d just pull it out but since the cracked tooth became an infection while we were on mission, they have to operate it out instead which requires me to remove my beard.” Obi-Wan sighed deeply, holding his jaw.

It really hurt.

The throbbing of his jaw was making his head throb too and because of that he had been fighting with a two day headache along with the bottom of his jaw aching and throbbing with the beat of his heart.

“…Want me to make you some of that willow tea master? You look like you need it frankly or even more an analgesic patch.” Anakin settled on seriously, keeping his voice low.

Glancing at Anakin, Obi-Wan smiled softly for all it cost him to use the muscle of his jaw. “The patch would be… appreciated Anakin.” He whispered, chuckling faintly when the other pressed his hand to the older Jedi’s shoulder and then jumped off the couch to find the patch. “And the tea if you’re not to busy.”

“For you master? Never.”

()()()

Sitting with Bant as the healers worked on Obi-Wan, Vader crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s going to be alright, yes?” He looked at Bant, blue eyes wide.

“Yes Anakin.” She smiled softly at him as the healers wandered past the rows of chairs set up for those waiting on someone. “Do you want me to explain what they are doing?” She asked.

Nodding slowly, Vader settled his hands n his lap. “Please.”

“They’re going to numb him down, once he’s properly sedated they’ll go in and pull the tooth loose. So far so good and normal right?” Bant explained, the mon calamari blinking her large eyes at him to make sure Vader understood.

Nodding in understanding, Vader rubbed his hands together. “Uhu.”

“Well once that’s done, they’re going to clean out the puss but to do that they will need to open up the gums pretty far down because Obi-Wan’s got really deep into the root and into the jawbone which means they are going to have to replace parts of the jaw too.”

Twitching a bit at that, Vader stared at her. “Master didn’t tell me that.”

Sighing a bit, Bant nodded. “I figured as much, he doesn’t like worrying you.” She settled on quietly before smiling. “But its not as bad as it sounds Anakin, the replacement of the infected bones is going to be easy too. There won’t even be a scar and the artificial bone won’t give him any trouble. Though he won’t be able to talk the rest of the day.”

Giving the woman a doubtful look, Vader finally nodded and settled back into waiting.

It felt excruciating and Vader was almost beside himself when the healer finally let them see Obi-Wan, his master curled up in bed with a patch over his jaw.

He looked young, just like Vader had suspected though he avoided smiling when they stepped in.

Still, he opened his eyes and gave a slight lip quirk, greeting Vader warmly through their bond.

“…You are a bantha’s ass for not telling me they were going to replace your jaw.” Vader huffed at him before settling on the edge of the bed and watching his master as Bant laughed at them and Obi-Wan gave him a tauntaun in headlights look.

“Honestly Obi-Wan, you must have known I’d tell him.” She laughed at him, patting Obi-Wan on the hand. “And look at you, you look like when we were teens still.” She teased.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and grunted before closing his eyes.

‘He looks really pretty, that’s what.’ Vader thought to himself, smiling slightly as he resisted the urge to steal Obi-Wan’s hand for himself.


	15. To slow or to fast?

Time was getting short.

Vader could tell time was getting short because Palpatine was getting desperate to have some kind of influence on the ‘chosen’ one, going so far as to invite Obi-Wan to have tea with him in a guise to get Anakin to the office and into the mans company. Having witnesses to their conversations that could contradict him if possible or disturb what he wanted to make of Vader.

So far Vader had managed to evade the man, either by pretending to be sick or having ‘accidents’.

But things were not progressing as it should and Vader still hadn’t found the evidence he needed to expose that bloody sithspawned karking old scrotum that th-

“Anakin?”

The soft voice broke in through his thoughts and Vader looked up quickly, meeting Obi-Wan’s concerned eyes, his head on Obi-Wan’s lap since the redhead had insisted on being able to easily check his temper and keeping an eye on him since his padawan had gotten a bad bought of a virus supposedly.

Hey there were some benefits to controlling your body functions like raising your own temperature and throwing up.

“Mmn?” Vader shifted a bit, nuzzling the others lap lightly which got a small smile from Obi-Wan despite his brows still being furrowed in concern.

“Are you alright? You went a bit… dark there.” Obi-Wan settled his hand on Vader’s brow.

Breathing out a bit, Vader shrugged. “I just… was thinking about the Chancellor. He’s just showering us with a lot of attention…” He looked away to peer at the wall instead. “I don’t like it.” He settled on honesty.

“Don’t like it?” Obi-Wan’s voice was kind now, gently stroking his brow and hair.

“I don’t like his attention, I don’t like the way he seems desperate to have my attention. What does a Chancellor want with one Jedi anyhow?” Vader wrinkled his nose.

There was a thoughtful silence before Obi-Wan slowly spoke up. “He says he owes you for being a hero to Naboo.” He hesitantly pointed out only to sigh when Vader threw him a long look from the others lap. “Though I do agree his level of interest is a bit disturbing. But he is the chancellor and the last thing we want to do is snub him. It would not be very politically sound and could be damaging for the Jedi.” Obi-Wan frowned deeply. “I could… speak to the council about it however.” He mumbled to himself.

Watching the Jedi, Vader smiled before reaching up and grasping Obi-Wan’s hand, pressing a soft kiss to the others wrist. “Thank you master.” He whispered, grateful the other was listening to him. However he also took note of a slight blush in Obi-Wan’s cheeks, the man clearing his throat a bit and looking away as he murmured out a quiet assurance. ‘Well well well, isn’t that an interesting reaction from dear Obi-Wan.’ Vader thought wickedly before growing thoughtful, holding onto the others wrist still while thumbing the soft skin to feel the pulse. ‘Year and a half until this body is legal.’

And then he was distracted as Obi-Wan rubbed at his temples again. “Of course padawan. I would do anything for you.” He looked up to see the others soft, bare cheeked smile.

‘…Kark I wish time would pass quicker, I can barely wait until I turn nineteen.’ Vader smiled up at him.


	16. Kin sees kin

He had been busily working, his attention away from the things that mattered.

Well this too mattered because as much as Vader still hated Asajj Ventress, he also remembered Obi-Wan’s warnings about how they could have been in similar positions and maybe, just maybe teenage Ventress could be saved if he could get her and her master off Rattatak.

Maybe he could do what Obi-Wan had tried so hard to do during the clone wars and honor the man that existed in that war line.

So he had hacked into the temple signals via a terminal outside the temple, carefully constructing the emergency signal to reach the temple comm center with a few modifications to the signal to ensure that it looked like it came from Rattatak and not Coruscant.

But that had separated him from Obi-Wan.

Vader’s Obi-Wan who was kind and listened to him and was going to stop Palpatine requesting for more meetings in the future much to Vader’s relief.

Yet he had not expected what he was told when he came back to the temple.

He stared at Tru, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that Tru?” He rasped out a bit, knowing he was acting peculiar even for him as Tru frowned at him in confusion.

“Your master went to the Rotunda? I heard Master Gallia and Master Yaddle talk about him going to the Senate to speak to the Chancellor.” The other padawan offered, unknowing about the utter panic that had released itself in Vader’s stomach that the Sith turned Jedi again was desperately trying to control.

Nodding a bit, Vader forced a smile onto his face that felt like a grimace. “Ah, thank you Tru. That’s… I’m sorry I got something to do now.” He finally managed to say, knowing that there were going to be questions about his strange behavior as he patted the other on the shoulder, turning on his heels to walk away.

He had barely rounded the corner when he was running, his feet carrying him to the hanger where he jumped into his usual speeder to shoot out of the temple and take the quickest route towards the Senate.

If asked about the trip to the Senate however…

Well Vader knew that route by instinct, could drive it blind and all his thoughts were consumed in a steady fire of Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan, _Obi-Wan!_

Its only by some kin of Force miracle that he manages to calm down as he parks, jumping out of the speeder to walk into the large building, walking the all too familiar path towards the Chancellor’s office where Obi-Wan must be.

And he’s right, Obi-Wan is standing outside the office, frowning at his feet before looking up and blinking in surprise, quickly moving to Vader as the blond crossed to him as quickly as he could without running. “Anakin, what are you doing here, you were bus-”

“Are you alright?” Vader cut in, whispering, staring down at the other. Some far of part of his mind crowed as he realized he was now taller than Obi-Wan but that wasn’t the big concern at the moment, his hands itching to reach out and check his master over in case of Sith manipulation, in case that rat Sidious had touched Obi-Wan, physically or mentally.

“Of course I am. Really Anakin.” Obi-Wan frowned before smiling softly at him. “However we can leave as I have gotten the Chancellor’s word that he won’t be trying to contact you on your own, your discomfort explained to him.” He reached out, gently resting his hand on Anakin’s elbow.

The touch was soothing, warm and Vader opened his shields to brush against Obi-Wan’s, relaxing when the other instantly let him in and mingled their aura’s briefly.

It was a relief, no sign of any tampering in the surface of the aura and Vader smiled a bit, nodding. “Well, we should go home then.” He murmured fondly, shifting to walk by his master’s side.

But as he looked up, he meet the narrowed eyes of Sidious.

It was like touching a live wire, Sidious eyes going from narrowed to wide in shock as he clearly recognized Vader for what he really was.

Because like recognized like.

And Sith recognized Sith.

Even when in disguise.

‘Blasted.’ But with that revelation Vader reached out and settled a clearly possessive hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, turning his back on the damn Sith Lord with his mind snarling behind tight shields. ‘Let him try to touch Obi-Wan, just let him try.’


	17. I can wait

Resting his hand on the small of Obi-Wan’s back with the heat of their fire warming them, Vader stared down at the other man with pursed lips, smiling faintly to himself at how relaxed the other was in his presence as Obi-Wan slept peacefully with his back exposed to the rest of the world and his stomach exposed to Vader, their bedrolls keeping out the chill of the ground below them.

Trusting Vader to keep him safe.

It was good to be off Coruscant again finally as Palpatine’s discovery had made everything ten times more difficult for Vader.

Now he had to fend off the mental attacks originating from the Senate that was not just aimed at him but at Obi-Wan though thank Force the necklace had shot down every attempt made on the redhead so far with him only looking confusedly puzzled as to a sudden dizzy spell.

But it was a constant cause for concern for Vader and Force, he was going to to strangle Palpatine the moment he fucking could without repercussion.

Force fuck that Sith.

Because Vader was not ignorant of the fact that his and Obi-Wan’s missions were suddenly a lot shorter and that they were teamed up with people that had the potential to track down any dark side use.

Which meant that the man had somehow made the Council wary despite ‘Anakin’ having been on his best behavior.

At least a few of the Council looked guilty about it since he doubted they had any good reason to actually investigate Vader or Obi-Wan.

Which meant he had to be even more careful then before but hey, at least Ventress helped in that department as she was a dark spot that he could shift some of the blame onto since she and her master had come from Rattatak and the Council was _still_ upset with knight Ky Narec. How he had managed to talk the council calm, Vader had no idea.

The fire in front of them crackled a bit and Vader lifted the stick he had picked out earlier when they had made camp under the rock outcropping, poking at the fire to shift the wood around before settling the stick back down and peering down at Obi-Wan once again.

Obi-Wan’s eyes were open.

Two thin slits that peered up at him with the fire creating flickering shadows over it.

Something in Vader called out, yelled at him and maybe that was the push he needed as he carefully caught Obi-Wan’s lax right hand with the one not resting in the dip of the redhead’s smaller back.

Holding the hand gingerly in his, Vader slowly and pointedly lifted it up while holding Obi-Wan’s eyes with his, pressing a soft kiss to the knuckles before pressing the warm hand to his chest where Obi-Wan would feel the beat of his heart.

Feel the speed at which it was racing as Vader slowly thinned his shields for Obi-Wan to also feel him, feel his longing, his respect but more importantly than all of those, his love.

He could tell Obi-Wan cottoned on when the others hand was suddenly crushing Vader’s as he stared up at him with wide eyes, almost glistening before the other let out a wretched little wet breath and turned his face to hide it in the dark leggings Vader still preferred.

Anakin would have impatiently needed answer, would have hesitated but eventually shaken Obi-Wan to get an answer to the unvoiced question.

Vader did not, he lifted Obi-Wan’s hand once again and pressed another, soft and undemanding kiss to the others hand once again as he quietly convened that he would accept whatever decision Obi-Wan made.

He wouldn’t have to like it, but he would accept it.

The fire crackles once again and the stars twinkles over them before Obi-Wan responds in turn, thinning his own shields for Vader to feel in return.

Skating mental fingers, Vader holds his breath before letting out a quiet, awed laugh of disbelief as he encounters hesitant acceptance, uncertainty but more important than both of those, burgeoning love that just needs to be nourished like a plant to grow into the deep, lasting love that Vader himself carries for Obi-Wan.

Its all Vader needs.

At least right now this knowledge is enough and he needs no kisses as he presses his lips to the back of Obi-Wan’s hand once again, breathing in the smell of tea and lotion as he smiles against the skin.

Because Obi-Wan does love him.

Vader can work with this.


	18. Shatterpoint knowledge

“I don’t know what you are, but I know that you are not the child that arrived on Coruscant with Qui-Gon Jinn. You carry more shatterpoints than ever and your aura has changed.” Vader slowly looked up from his pad to stare at Mace Windu, blinking slowly at him with his mouth slightly open as the councilor glowered down at him.

And then the Korun sighed wearily, seemed to slump before he sat down, staring at Anakin with a resigned look. “But you’re not the danger I foresaw in the shatterpoints when you first arrived with Qui-Gon either.” He murmured, voice quieter as he flickered his eyes slowly over the other Jedi. “I won’t ask _what_ you have done… but tell me if my guess is on track, did you time travel?” Mace asked.

Staring in return, Anakin felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise as he meet Windu’s eyes square on as he struggled with himself even as he reached his Force abilities around to find only Windu in the general vicinity around.

Letting out a deep breath, Vader let himself sit back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest before he gave a brief nod. He watched as Mace slumped over the table, elbows firmly planted on it as he buried his face in his hands. “So things went that badly?” He rasped.

Hesitating a bit, Vader looked away. “…The entire galaxy fell.” The blond caught between being a Sith and Jedi whispered out. “I remained but I was… lost.” Anakin swallowed, struggling with himself as he had no idea which one he was now, was he Anakin or was he Vader?

“…What happened to make you return?” Windu asked, a far to knowing look in his eyes.

“…Obi-Wan died.” Blue eyes meet brown. “I heard his heartbeats slow through the Force, one thump after the other somewhere out in the galaxy far from me. Every beat was a new blow to my sanity and then… they stopped.”

There was chatter somewhere far off, a window was open and a breeze was coming in and Jocasta was yelling.

Neither Mace nor Vader noticed.

“…He died?” The councilor asked.

“Far away from home and comfort, far away from me. It shattered what little was left of me… I don’t even know what I did but when I opened my eyes again, I could see him again, I was here.” Vader breathed out heavily, tightening his arms over his chest.

They were mute for a long few minutes before Mace sighed again. “When you came with Obi-Wan to Coruscant, I fought myself about what to do. You weren’t the same child, I was keenly aware of that and yet at the same time… you weren’t as dangerous anymore. I didn’t understand it, so I allowed Obi-Wan to train you so I could keep you under observation. The more I saw, the more clues I put together for my theory.” He murmured, watching the other. “I told no one as I’m rather sure you will not betray us.”

Quirking his lips a bit, Anakin shrugged while relaxing, feeling safer in the others company. “This is my home. This is where Obi-Wan is. If you can believe nothing else, believe that.” He said quietly.

Nodding slowly, Mace watched him once again before leaning forward. “Then how about you start working with me on whatever threat it is you have found out there in the galaxy. And maybe, just maybe we can save everyone?” He murmured.

Blinking harshly at the offered alliance, Vader let out a breathy, shocked laugh before nodding sharply. “Not here, somewhere secure but… I’d like to have someone to work with.” He settled on.

A smirk pulled Mace lips up and then he offered his hand to Anakin, nodding. “Partners?”

No hesitation in sight, Vader grabbed the others hand tightly. “Partners.”


	19. Earring

For a long while it had been impossible for him to get to the holocrons of the Sith that the temple had confiscated through the years, it would give away too much of the secrets Vader still carried that he just couldn’t afford to expose just yet but now that he had Mace Windu of all people on his side things were different and though the man was suspicious still, he had granted him his request.

Though it had been disguised as Mace on the official forms, Mace handed the holocron to him once they were able to.

“I don’t really see what you need this for.” Mace drawled, watching him with a raised brow as Anakin examined the pyramid in his hand.

“Protection.” He hummed out in response to the Korun’s question. “Ever since Palpatine discovered my true nature, his attacks on both myself and Obi-Wan has become worse. Obi-Wan doesn’t recognize it because of the protection I have given him but he’s having dizzy fits that he can’t explain. I’d rather craft him a light side protection but to do that I need information on how Palpatine is attacking Obi-Wan and myself.” Vader explained.

He ignored Mace eye twitching.

Oh that had been a thing of beauty when he had explained that Sheev Palpatine was Sidious, a Sith lord sitting like a spider in its web at the very heart of the Republic. The councilor had thrown a _fit_ unlike anything Vader had ever seen because it had not been a rageful or hateful fit, no it had been a cold, calculated expulsion of emotions as Mace demolished droid after droid, moving through each and every offensive vaapad move he had in his repertoire and a few more from other saber forms.

It had been most impressive and Anakin could see why Mace had been the only one to survive Palpatine’s attack in the original timeline.

Taking a deep breath Vader finally activated the holocron, watching Darth Traya appear, the woman  staring at him coldly for a few long moments before inclining her head to him. “Lord Vader.” She greeted.

Bowing his head respectfully in return, Vader swallowed his own fear even as Mace backed away from the Sith lady. “My Lady, I require your assistance if you’ll give it.”

She smirked at that. “You wish to destroy the fake Sith, Bane’s little pet pretend line that you once yourself was part of.” She drawled, watching him still before glancing at Mace. “Though I have to admit, you’re not like them. I find myself reluctantly impressed little traveler, not many could rip apart time in such a way even if you are not sure what you did. Nor would they work with Jedi… though you are neither Jedi or Sith, are you?” She looked back to him.

“…I don’t know.” Anakin answered honestly. “I’m not Fallen and I’m not pure. I am lead by my emotion but recognize when to put them aside. Maybe I am balance, maybe I am an abnormal. I don’t know yet.” He shrugged.

Traya hummed at that, closing her eyes even as Mace looked at Vader sharply in confusion. But not suspicion.

Clearly Mace had read something out of Anakin that he himself could not sense.

“Fine, I will help you traveler.” Traya finally announced. “What is it you need?” She settled on.

()()()

“Earring?” Obi-Wan blinked, staring down into his palm at the silver earring in the shape of a songbird wing with blue little rhinestone gems creating the feathers of it. It had a cuff on the top part of the wing to keep it secure to the ear with the piercing along with a little two cm long chain that ended with a sapphire blue teardrop shaped gem hanging and would merrily swing in the air when worn. “You got me an earring?” Obi-Wan looked up at him in surprise.

Wrapping his hands around Obi-Wan’s and covering them, Vader smiled at him in return at the bewildered look. “I got you protection. Look at it with the Force?” He requested, grinning when Obi-Wan turned even more bewildered.

But the redhead obeyed, closing his eyes to examine the earring with the Force only for his eyes to snap open and stare at Anakin. “Padawan _what_ is this?” He questioned in shock.

“Master Windu helped me create it, its a protection charm.” Anakin deftly picked the earring up, reaching for Obi-Wan’s right ear and carefully setting the post against the upper part of the lobe. “It will protect you from the dark…” He trailed off and waited, smiling when Obi-Wan fisted his hands into Anakin’s tabards. “I’ll make it quick.” He promised quietly, heart pounding in his chest at the awe  and trust Obi-Wan was leaking into the Force along with the softer emotions of love.

Swiftly he pushed the post in with a bit of the Force to numb the ear and fasted it with the clutch in the back, carefully fastening the cuff along the helix.

Watching it for a long moment, Vader ran his fingertip lightly along the ear, not sure if the redness of it was from the earring being pushed in or Obi-Wan blushing. “We’ve been to so many places with dark spirits and artifacts around… I worry about you master. So I got you a gift. It may be attachment but… I don’t think its bad, as long as we don’t let our attachments rule us.” He smiled softly at him, finally catching his eyes.

Obi-Wan stared in return, the teardrop swaying gently in move with his head as the master tightened his hands even more in the fabric.

And then he slowly dipped his head in a nod. “Maybe you’re right… Anakin.” He smiled sweetly.

Anakin’s heart could have given out there and then and he would have gone happily.

Sweet Force.


	20. What we've been

The pancake slipped off the spatula and onto the floor in a heavy flop, staining it with grease but Vader couldn’t even bring himself to look towards it as he stood frozen by the stove while staring at Obi-Wan, his master peering back quietly with a calm expression.

But Anakin could see the slight embarrassment hidden beneath that calm, the curl of shame tightening Obi-Wan’s eyes.

Finally clearing his throat, Vader turned around slowly while pushing the frying pan off the warm plate. “You… you were a slave?” He finally rasped out, not sure if he heard right from the short conversation Vos and Obi-Wan had over comm.

Fiddling a bit with the gem of his earring, Obi-Wan sat back in his chair. “For a few weeks, yes. Qui-Gon got me back of course but I spent a few weeks as a mining slav-”

“How old, how old were you?” Anakin snapped, stepping towards him with trembling shoulders.

Tense limbed and obviously nervous looking to Anakin, Obi-Wan gave a half shrug. “Thirteen. I was… thirteen. Anakin… please.” He stood, carefully moving towards him to rub at Vader’s shoulders with care. “Calm down…” He whispered with a frown on his face.

Shaking his head, Anakin breath hitch. “Y-You don’t get it. I… kark why didn’t you _tell_ me?” He whispered before dragging Obi-Wan into his arms, face in his neck as his mind spun in circles. He heard Obi-Wan try to calm him, talking softly, rubbing at his back but Vader was asking for answers that _this_ Obi-Wan couldn’t give.

Why hadn’t his old master told him this, why hadn’t he confessed because it would have made things different, Anakin was sure of that. Why hadn’t the old Obi-Wan told him?

Because actually experiencing slavery was different than knowing about it, if you experienced it, you knew what happened and kark Obi-Wan had been thirteen and a _mining_ slave, going from the temple and…

Oh Force, he felt sick.

“I’msorry,I’msorry,I’msorry” He babbled into Obi-Wan’s neck, arms tight around his waist as he dragged the other flush against his body. “I didn’t think you knew, didn’t think you understood but you do. You know. You _know_.” Vader couldn’t help a small sob.

A wounded noise escaped Obi-Wan before his arms went tight around him in return. “Oh Anakin, I should have told you before… Yes I know.” He whispered helplessly into the blonds ear. “I may not know how a lifetime of it is, but I know the pain and the hurt and the fear. I’m so sorry.” He rocked the other man as he held him, tucking him against his shoulder.

Letting out a soft, shuddering sob, Vader shifted and picked him up, clinging to Obi-Wan with all his might.

()()()

Glancing down at where Obi-Wan was sleeping with his head in Anakin’s lap, the blond slowly ran his fingers through with careful fingers even though he knew that Obi-Wan would not wake. Could not wake.

Not for a few more hours.

He honestly felt terrible for drugging the others tea but he drove away that guilt with a careful reminder that he needed to work and unleashing the flash bug of information that would spread Palpatine’s deeds would take several hours.

At least if he wanted to make it untraceable to the Jedi temple and that is what he needed. He’d make it up to him once he was awake though some would argue that the protections he had given Obi-Wan would be more than enough for a lifetime.

‘At least this has stopped the dizzy spells.’ Anakin thought to himself as he caught the teardrop gem of the earring, smiling to himself.

Palpatine attacks no longer affected Obi-Wan thank the Force.

Now Vader just had to get the man out of power.


	21. Under Fire!

“You need to stop gritting your teeth and unclench your jaw, you’ll give yourself a headache again!” Obi-Wan complained as he went over the papers from the substitute class he had agreed to take over for Bant, glancing worriedly at Anakin as the man was twitching on the couch and gritting his jaw. “What has your lightsabers in a lock this time?” He finally sighed.

Anakin’s lips pursed, staring at him for a long moment before he finally opened his mouth. “You left the Order.”

Sitting up from the caff table, Obi-Wan blinked at his padawan before sighing. “You hacked my records.” He said dryly, fiddling with the gem of his earring, something which had become a habit of late.

He really needed to stop that, it would become a nervous tell if he didn’t… and yet…

In front of Anakin he did not seem to mind having tells.

A warm hand wrapped around his wrist, stilling the fiddling as blue and green eyes meet.

“You left.” Anakin repeated, frowning at him.

“…Me and Qui-Gon were sent to a planet that was deemed lost even to Jedi influence of peace, civil war having become too ingrown into both parties and neither looking for peace… I ended up joining a small fraction of teenagers my own age, believing in their cause and when Qui-Gon went back… I stayed. I left the Order.” Obi-Wan sighed, explaining in short words what had happened as he didn’t want to go fully into those memories.

Anakin however seemed to understand all the words unsaid as he scanned Obi-Wan’s face, his thumb gently stroking the inside of his wrist.

And then he nodded slowly, smiling at him. “You wanted to help, there’s no shame in that.”

A wry smile crossed Obi-Wan’s face at that. “Knowing when the battle is lost and when you can help is also a deal Anakin. Yes the war ended but I don’t know if my presence did anything really, I was only one ripple in a pond much bigger than I understood at the time and the cost of the war…” He sighed and shook his head. “I should have listened to my more experienced master and gone home and instead requested someone more experienced to go there. One padawan did not turn the tide of the war as such.”

He stared at his legs.

But looked up quickly when Anakin covered his hands.

“You wanted to help, you earnestly wanted to make a difference. I don’t see anything wrong in that. I only see someone who wouldn’t so easily accept defeat.” Anakin murmured quietly, smiling softly at him before leaning in and pressing their foreheads together. “That does you credit.” He added more softly. “Not everyone would.”

Blinking a bit, Obi-Wan felt color rise up his neck and to his cheeks, feeling relieved that the beard covered most of it as he took in the quiet, warm praise Anakin gave to what was frankly a terrible idea. Melida/Daan had been a horrible idea.

With a soft smile, Anakin leaned back. “But you should get back to your work. After all, you wouldn’t want to leave the surprise tests to Master Dipla to correct now would you?” He teased.

Snorting a bit, Obi-Wan gave an agreeing nod before settling back to the papers with a quiet sigh. ‘Its my own fault for surprise quizing them.’ He reminded as he worked away.

Anakin watched him for a long moment before he slowly focused his eyes back down on his pad, a slow smirk crossing his lips at the front title of the news.

SCANDAL AT THE SENATE- CHANCELLOR PALPATINE UNDER LEGAL FIRE!


	22. Assured

“So he’s been training with you?” Obi-Wan questioned with no small amount of relief, taking a sip of tea as he watched the grandmaster.

Inclining his head, Mace took a large sip of his own. “Indeed, that is why you have been sensing darkness around him. I do admit I should have come to you first to ask you for permission, as his master and al-”

Obi-Wan cut him off, shaking his head with a warm smile on his face. “No, no that’s fine. Anakin is an adult, he can take lessons from whoever he wants though I’m surprised you took him on. Your… dislike of each other isn’t exactly hidden.” Obi-Wan rubbed his chin a bit, watching the other.

Mace seemed to color a bit before he sighed. “I will admit I have been cautious about Skywalker but he is proving himself… and maybe the Council was unfair when Qui-Gon first presented him at the age of nine. We should have worded ourselves better as to not scare him.” He said.

Blinking a bit, Obi-Wan sat back before sighing. “Most likely but I can’t claim to be better than any of you were at the tim-”

“You have nothing to say sorry about except to perhaps Skywalker.” Mace scowled. “If anyone should have apologized that day it was Qui-Gon because it was clear to everyone he sprung the idea of your knighthood on you without prior warning.” Mace huffed, face set in a stern grimace.

To that Obi-Wan had nothing to say as he took a sip before he started smiling fondly into it. “Perhaps but I won’t regret that it lead me to Anakin. It has been my deepest pleasure to teach him.” He said softly. “He may have been the reason I managed to get out of bed in the morning after Qui-Gon’s death.” Obi confessed quietly to Mace.

There was a quiet noise and then Mace reached out, settling his hand on Obi-Wan’s wrist. “I won’t tell you that its unjedi like nor not to grieve, Yoda does not understand humans despite having padawans, we need to let our emotions be felt but not hide from them. So I’m glad he was a comfort to you my friend.” Mace rumbled out.

Humming softly, Obi-Wan peered at the other from under his lashes before smiling a bit at him. “Thank you for listening to my worries Mace, you’ve become a good friend to me and I find myself appreciating what you’ve given me.”

Chuckling a bit, Mace squeezed his wrist and threw in a mischievous wink. “Ah, we all have padawan trouble now and then, I’ll be happy to lend you my ear between council meetings and other duties.” He confided.

Chuckling at that, Obi-Wan nodded, taking a sip. “If I’m lucky, Anakin will soon be a knight.” He beamed proudly.

()()()

Watching in no little confusion at the happy whistle of the other, Anakin tilted his head a bit. “I’m sorry if I’m being nosy master but you seem a lot happier today than yesterday.” He noted, feeling a sense of relief in his bones as Obi-Wan had spent the last week studying him with a concerned look in his eyes.

“Hmm? Oh! I don’t mind you asking. I just had tea with Mace is all and he soothed some worries I were having. You should have told me that Master Windu was teaching you the vaapad though.” Obi-Wan smiled proudly at him, pausing in his food preparation to give Anakin his attention.

Outwardly calm, Vader felt his mind throwing itself into a panicked fit at the implication that gave him.

Obi-Wan had sensed darkness and Windu had covered for Anakin’s misstep.

He gave a bashful shrug and moved closer to the redhead. “I am still in the basic of it and Master Windu is unsure if I can handle the vaapad honestly though we are making progress at the moment. Its quite demanding.” Vader said in an airy tone.

Obi-Wan placed his hand on his padawans shoulder and smiled softly at him, a proud glimmer in his eyes that shone brighter than any gem in the galaxy. “Regardless, I am proud of you Anakin. You’ve come so marvelously along and I foresee the great Jedi you will become.” He said tenderly.

Uncertain as he was, those words still made Anakin _smile_ to Obi-Wan, warmth glowing in his stomach from the happiness it brought him. He was making Obi-Wan _proud_.


	23. Eventually truth must be told

“You’re going to have to tell him eventually you know.”

Freezing both figuratively and physically, Anakin wearily peered at Mace as the man continued peeking out the freezer they were currently taking shelter in, where the scans could not confirm other living signatures from the ship.

Obi-Wan was in the front of the cockpit, pretending to be a cargo pilot who would get Mace and Anakin onto the planet.

Swallowing heavily, Vader rubbed at himself. “What are yo-”

“Obi-Wan.” Mace rumbled. “You’ll have to tell him the truth.” He let the door shut, pulling back so it would muffle their conversation from the redhead.

Tucking his arms even tighter around his own body, Anakin stared down at his feet. “…I don’t want to, the idea scares me.” He admitted and once he would have yelled at himself for admitting as much to Mace Windu of all creatures.

But the man knew he had once been a Sith and might not judge him as harshly for admitting it directly.

“And that’s fair.” Mace said.

Head snapping up in shock, Anakin stared at the other, blinking and wondering if he heard right. The Korun rolled his eyes a bit before sighing and making his way over to a crate where he sat down. “Being in love allows for fear Skywalker.”

Staring at the other man breathlessly, Vader breathed out as fog wrapped around his face. “What?”

Rolling his eyes pointedly, Mace sat back against the wall. “You are allowed to karking love, has no one told you that?” He grumbled before blinking as Anakin just continued to stare at him. “Has… no one told you that?” He questioned more softly.

Licking his lips, Anakin shook his head while approaching the other.

“…We’re human.” Mace pointed out with a low voice. “We _can’t_ live without love in our life but Jedi can not be attached, its not love we forbid Sk-Anakin. Its possession.” He peered up at him as if he was judging Anakin.

Then he sighed and rubbed his face, seemingly muttering a bit before nodding firmly and sitting up. “Alright then, guess I’m doing this.” Mace took a deep breath and then pinned Anakin with his dark gaze. “To love is to also be able to let go, to watch what you love leave and let it free so it will not become tainted. To possess is to taint, to corrupt that love and in the end it leads to tears and trauma and for a Jedi? Fall.” He stared at him, lips pursed.

‘Padme.’ Anakin spasmed, the image of Mustafar flashing for his mind as he choked the woman he loved, his _pregnant_ wife as he returned to staring at his own feet.

Then he slowly looked back at Windu and laughed hollowly. “I wonder if the Force is laughing at the karma of _you_ teaching me about love.” Vader whispered before collapsing to the crate beside Mace. For a long few minutes neither said anything before Anakin finally spoke up again. “Are we allowed to have relationships then?” He questioned.

“There would have to be a petition to the Council, to prove that you can have it without attachment and there are always those who disapprove but yes. Its allowed, its human after all. Ka-Adi Mundi could tell you all about it and his wives that he has to balance along with the order and the code.” Mace rumbled.

“…Wives?” Anakin blinked at the use of plural.

Smirking a bit, Mace shrugged. “Talk to him when we get back, he won’t mind sharing his wisdom.”

Anakin stared at his knees before nodding. “I will… and I’ll tell Obi-Wan… soon.” He added in a soft whisper.

“…Good, you’ll have my support when you do.”

And that was the last of that conversation for a good while.


	24. We pay for love

‘Grief is the price we pay for love.’ Anakin had heard that somewhere or maybe even Obi-Wan had been the one to tell him it after reading some novel or after some horrifying mission so long ago in his mind that his brain didn’t want to remember it properly even if he remembered the words.

Grief and pain would be the price Anakin paid for his actions if he did this.

Staring at the terminal while sitting beside Mace he struggled to input the code that would send the virus.

His heart was racing and he slowly looked at the Korun before looking back at the terminal. “I don’t know if I can do this.” He whispered.

Slowly Mace reached up and settled his hand on Vader’s shoulder, squeezing. “That’s the thing, sometimes doing what is… right by others, is not really morally good. And we suffer for the actions.” He said slowly. “If you can’t, then we find a different way though I’m not sure what way is left for us.”

Anakin stared at him in the light of the terminal before looking back down.

Then he took a deep breath and typed in the code, sending off the kill signal to the biochip for every trooper active  and to shut down the tanks with them and scramble the Kamino’s cloning systems, shaking and whimpering to himself as the Force suddenly roared with shock at thousands upon thousands of lives suddenly blinking out.

With it done, Anakin shoved the lap terminal out of his lap to wrap his arms around himself, placing his head on his knees as he cried in pain and loss, feeling the death of the clones all to keenly.

He could feel a large hand resting on his back, rubbing while quiet words of comfort were issued before another hand joined him, Obi-Wan soaking through the patchwork of pain like water to fire to bring relief with Windu’s quiet presence behind it to ensure the quiet.

For a long moment Vader couldn’t move at all, only shook in the throes of the Force and the sensation of death with their closeness to Kamino on their mission.

There was the graying light of day outside their hotel window when Anakin finally pulled himself up to look blearily around the room, Obi-Wan sitting beside him in only his nightshirt with a worried frown on his face and his hand on Anakin’s back, Mace on the other side sitting back against the couch with a hand over his eyes.

“Sorry.” Vader croaked but Obi-Wan just shook his head and smiled gently at him, the earring jingling gently as he did.

“Don’t. Don’t apologize for having emotions.” Obi-Wan whispered quietly in return.

Staring at those tender eyes, Anakin swallowed heavily, bile in the back of his throat before he sat up with Obi-Wan’s hand still on his back. “Obi-Wan, I have something to confess.” He whispered. He felt more than he heard Mace Windu taking a sharp, deep breath on the other side but he had eyes for no one but Obi-Wan in that moment as the redhead tilted his head and nodded slowly, willing and ready to listen.

Now just came how Obi-Wan would respond, how he would react…

Oh Force, if Anakin lost him today of all days after what he had just done…

He didn’t think he’d survive losing Obi-Wan now.

Sitting up and taking bravery in the Korun on his other side, (and honestly when had that happened?), Anakin launched into the tale of what had happened and what he had done, from the start to the end, leaving no detail out for Obi-Wan.

From the day he had arrived in the past, why it had happened, how it had happened and more importantly, what he had done.

He laid his heart bare for Obi-Wan to judge.


	25. Not all as it seems (or alternativly, Mace Windu is a bastard)

“He’s still not talking to you?” Mace questioned, adjusting the coordinates before looking at the miserable padawan beside him.

“No,” Anakin sulked sadly. “Even our bond is sealed shut. I know he asked for time but this is getting painful.” He crossed his arms over his chest, heart throbbing both at the loss of friends and at the loss of Obi-Wan.

It had been over a month since he killed his men and a month since he confessed to Obi-Wan about the time travel.

Needless to say Obi-Wan had at first thought Anakin was joking.

And then he had a minor meltdown of his own as he tried to absorb it all.

Then he had just gone very quiet before asking Anakin for space to think it all over.

Not that Vader really blamed him, considering he had basically been manipulating the older man their entire life, lying to him, had time traveled and confessed to actually _murdering_ the order in that time line.

Of course Obi-Wan needed space to think.

It was still draining to feel so isolated though at least Mace was around for him to talk to.

“Hmm, well give him that time. He will come around.” Mace promised as they came through the sky layer, landing with an easy thump.

Frowning a bit as something familiar caught him, Vader sat up quickly as he looked at the recently risen city on the moon before looking to Mace. “You never did explain why you requested me for this mission… or even who these people are.”

The councilor smiled a bit and got to his feet, waving for Anakin to follow. “I hope you will eventually forgive me for what I did.” He said, leading Anakin to the ramp that he lowered.

Before he could ask for an explanation, Anakin recognized what he was sensing.

_Rex_.

Whirling around on his heel, he marched two steps down the ramp and stared at the faces of Jango Fett as they spoke with what Anakin recognized as Jedi and Agricore members, all of them milling around from young to the oldest as they worked on building their city.

He could even spot Boil in the far distance with someone he bet was Waxer and his heart felt like it was beating out of his chest.

Staring in shock for several moments, Vader turned on Mace to find him smiling. “You didn’t really think I had you murder your friends, did you?” He raised a brow.

“You…” Vader couldn’t find the words, raw rage building in his chest. “You…”

“Me,” Mace looked towards the clones, watching them. “I had to know what you were willing to do. I admit I tricked you into thinking you committed genocide. But for good reason.” He hummed, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

“Why?” Anakin growled, nails digging into his flesh.

He didn’t think any reason could be good enough for this.

“Sidious.” Mace said, still cool as a cucumber.

Anakin blinked. “Huh?”

“When Sidious forced your hand with trauma and death, you killed the entire Order once and doomed the galaxy under dictatorship,” Mace looked at him. “I had to ensure you weren’t that man anymore. And I admit it, it was cruel of me. It was cruel and terrible. But it also allowed me to get them safe and you unknowing as Sidious can read your face,” The Korun hummed. “Him knowing now that the troopers are alive is no big deal as he can’t find them and even if he did find them now, we have freemans certifications for all of them and your original code destroyed the chip.”

Narrowing his eyes, Anakin glared at him. “I am never trusting you again and you are an utter bastard.” He snapped.

“Fair and yes I am,” Mace shrugged. “Its not the first terrible thing I have done when testing someone for darkness. It will not be the last.” He sighed.

Growling, Anakin turned back to watch the troopers who were still pretending not to pay attention to them as they continued working. “…How did you get them here?”

“Through a lot of contacts, working with the Shadows and Sentinels and tricking the Kaminos,” Mace sighed deeply. “Those longnecks are a bunch of paranoid karks but we managed it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And then there was Fett and his son…” He sighed deeply again.

At the mention of Boba, Anakin jumped a bit, turning once more only to keep quiet when Windu raised a hand.

“They are both fine. Accepting a job is not a crime though Fett has quite a few on rep. We made a deal…” He grimaced. “He’ll be testifying against Sidious and Count Dooku when the time comes for cleaning his rep. Seems he wants his son not to always have to be on the run with him all the time.” Mace shrugged.

Rubbing his face, Anakin tried to think about something to say. “…How did you make the Force cry out like that?” He questioned.

“Replicating a death cry is less hard than you think.” Mace hummed. “But doing it multiple times? That was the truly difficult part.” He winced, rubbing his shoulder.

Vader raised a brow.

“Depa was very unhappy with me and took me to task over it you see,” Mace explained. “The Shadows were really drained after doing it.”

Vader shook his head and slowly turned back to this… this city of clones on what had been an uninhabited moon.

Now full of life with Jedi to help them get started.

“…I’ll forgive you eventually but I’m still angry at you and you’re still an utter bastard.” Vader finally huffed.

“Eh, like a feline being angry for a pulling a thorn out of your wound.” Mace shrugged. “I’ll take my punishment.” He said after a moment, to show he wasn’t making light of the torment and distress he had put the other under and after a moment, Anakin smiled at him, shaking his head slowly.

“…We will be talking about you telling the others about me though, believe me.”

“Was hoping you wouldn’t catch onto that part.”


	26. When you come home

Staring at his cup of tea Obi-Wan contemplating getting some food before setting the cup down and rubbing his face.

In front of him on the table his necklace and his earring rested, taunting and constant reminders of the truth now that he knew.

Anakin, his dearest Anakin was a Sith…

No had been a Sith?

Pressing his face into his hands he dug the heels into his eyes as he tried to wrap his mind around it all. Though he had been honestly trying it for a full month to figure it all out and try to digest the news.

Massacre, genocide, full on galactic war, Fall of Jedi, a dictatorship across the galaxy, time travel and finally the constant manipulation from Anakin since the trip home after Qui-Gon’s death.

The road to hell was truly pawed with good intentions.

Maybe if it wasn’t for the fact that he was personally involved he might be able separate it and see the good in it but at the moment…

He was hurting.

He had _trusted_ Anakin so much and even…

“Loved him.” Obi-Wan admitted to the empty room, swallowing hard as he felt moisture creep from his eyes into his pressed palms.

Lifting his head slowly, Obi-Wan took a shaking sigh and got to his feet before hesitating, staring down at the table. After a moment he picked up the old japor amulet and put it on, knowing it was protecting him for a purpose and after a second he put in the rather over the top earring Anakin had given him.

And he wasn’t the type to cut his nose to spite his face.

Staring out the kitchen window, he caught sight of the Rotunda, impossible as it was to ignore.

It was like the Jedi temple, you could see it almost from everywhere on Coruscant unless you were far down in the slum or on the other side of the world but as long as you were in the capitol, you could not avoid seeing either of them unless you were inside one of them.

It looked so innocent almost for such a dark building it truly was.

It was just a building like every other just bigger, the colors the same, the window many and people inside it.

And yet Obi-Wan almost expected it to leak darkness with the type of people inside it.

Oh many were good of course, Senators trying to do the best for their people but others…

He let out a deep breath, resting his elbows on the bench to run his fingers through his long hair as he let out a distressed noise.

A Sith in the karking Senate itself… and not just in any position but as the highest position of them all, the farkled Chancellor position.

Digging in his nails a bit into his scalp, Obi-Wan felt a suddenly pang in his chest of wishing for Anakin, the others arms around him, promise in his eyes and a smile on his lips-

No…

Obi-Wan let out a shuddering and let go before he could do damage to himself, carefully checking on the bond to ensure he hadn’t let the sudden urge slip through a crack.

And yet he found himself hesitating at the barriers he had put them on, wanting to remove them, to seek comfort even with Anakin so far away because when things had gotten tough, when the world threatened to eat him pretty much… Anakin had been there, be it with a smile, a joke or just sitting beside him.

And that part wasn’t manipulating Obi-Wan.

That had been Anakin providing comfort.

Supporting Obi-Wan.

Loving him.

‘…When he comes home, we’ll talk.’ He thought to himself while removing the barriers, letting Anakin feel him once more.

The bond lit up with faint shock and then overwhelming joy even from a distance, it made Obi-Wan smile even as he started making food for real.

After all, he’d need energy for when Anakin came home.


	27. Dry, chapped but tender

Pressing their foreheads together in greeting, Anakin breathed out in relief as Obi-Wan allowed the easy access to his mind.

He was home and Obi-Wan, while still uncertain and a bit upset, was allowing him close again, wasn’t blocking him out and Anakin let out a soft whimpering noise before wrapping his arms around the others waist and pulling him in so they were flush against him.

He felt Obi-Wan’s own arms come up, one wrapping around his shoulders in an embrace and the other continuing up until the redhead could run his fingers slowly through Anakin’s hair and rub at his nape with affection.

For several moments that was all that happened before Obi-Wan spoke.

“I think its time we had a proper conversation Anakin.” He whispered and Vader forced the eyes he had closed to open, giving a small nod as he reluctantly let go of Obi-Wan only for the master to grab his hand and lead him towards the couch.

Its obviously Obi-Wan intends to get something to drink for them but…

After a month of separation Anakin just can’t and instead desperately pulls the other man into his lap, pressing his face to the others sternum where he takes a deep breath of black tea and sweet soap along with the temples fabric cleaner.

The smell of home, of safety, of Obi-Wan.

It makes him shake as he clenches his fingertips into Obi-Wan’s side and he hiccups a little breath.

“Oh Anakin, I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan whispered, stroking his hair and nape once more as he whispers little words of assurance. “I didn’t mean to make you feel so alone, so desperate,” He said sadly. “I just needed time to think and you make that so difficult sometimes.” Obi-Wan explained.

Giving a little hitched sob, Anakin just nodded. “I know, I know I make it hard on you. I don’t mind. I’m just so glad you’re back,” He got out in a shaken voice. “I was so alone in my own head and my skin was crawling but you’re back now and that’s all that matters.” He swallowed hard.

Vader was a far off thing in his mind at that moment, so distant he was more Anakin than Vader.

Especially when Obi-Wan tentatively cups the back of his head and tilts the blonds head back until their eyes are meeting again, peering nervously at Anakin before the older man leans in and presses a soft, trying kiss to the others lips.

Obi-Wan’s lips are dry and chapped but oh so warm and ever so tender in this first true kiss with ll the cards laid out on the table between them and Anakin notes with almost a hysterical glee that the others beard tickles his cheeks when they kiss.

Letting out a breathy gasp against the others lips, Anakin returned the affection carefully as he pushed into it, resting one hand on Obi-Wan’s lower back and the other on the back of his neck as he coaxed the man closer.

As far as first kisses go Anakin thinks this is one of the better one as Obi-Wan slowly pulls back to peer at him, a shy smile on his lips. “I’m not going to forget what you did Anakin. But I know you’re a changed man, you changed yourself and for that I’m proud… so I’m not giving up on you.” He whispered, fingertips rubbing against the others scalp.

“Thank you.” Anakin whispered thickly before pressing butterfly kisses all over the others face, soft and tentative before he swoops in for another kiss, needing to know that its real, that Obi-Wan had actually kissed him and was not leaving him behind.

That Obi-Wan still loved and wanted him now that he knew the truth.

“Oh dear one,” Obi-Wan said in a lovingly exasperated tone. “I will always love you, regardless what comes you utter oaf.” He chuckled, his eyes curving with his smile as Anakin realized with some sheepishness that his mind was totally unshielded.

Well, that was one way to get the point across at least and he melted into the couch as Obi-Wan lavished his skin with his own butterfly kisses in return that had Anakin dizzy with joy and love.


	28. Questions

Pressing into Obi-Wan’s neck, Anakin let out a relieved breath as he sat in the others lap.

‘Alright… the time for comfort is… well mostly over but right now, we need to talk.’ He told himself sternly before reluctantly pulling himself from the others neck to peer at him, meeting those believed eyes as Obi-Wan reached out to stroke his cheek with a small smile on his lips.

“You’re ready now?” He asked with a slightly amused glint in his eyes which gained him a sheepish smile.

“Yeah… sorry, just you being so far away… I’ve been reliant on you for a long time to guide me and to have you taken away like that was… harrowing.” Anakin scratched at his neck while sitting back on Obi-Wan’s knees.

“And yet your eyes are still blue.” Obi-Wan noted, smiling even more. “Still my Anakin.”

Blinking in surprise, Anakin let his eyes drop to his hands, letting his mind mull over that fact. Obi-Wan was right, he had been cut off from Obi-Wan from several weeks, had been in pain, thought he lost the troopers who had been his friends and yet…

Yet he had not slipped into the dark side once more.

Looking up at that, Anakin smiled back to him in delight which had Obi-Wan laughing before he was pulled into a deep kiss that threatened to steal his breath.

“…You continue doing that, we won’t get to talking.” Obi-Wan panted out when they parted.

“Tempting,” Anakin grinned wickedly which only got him a snort before Obi-Wan gently laced their hands together, watching them with a contemplative expression. “But yeah, I hear you. Okay, talking, we’re gonna talk. What do you want to talk about?” He tilted his head curiously.

He wasn’t actually sure what the other could want when Anakin had told him everything or at least anything he remembered.

“Are you really a padawan?” Obi-Wan asked, peering up at him with a small furrow in his brows. “Were you ever a padawan really?”

Hesitating a bit, Anakin considered that. “Skill wise… no but alignment wise, yes. I needed to be shown a better way after so much darkness and I honestly can’t think of anyone better than you to do that. There are people more skilled of course but there is no one like you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who would have both the skill and the understanding not to outright judge someone for darkness.” Anakin explained slowly with somewhat halting words as he tried to be true and genuine for Obi-Wan.

Nodding slowly in understanding, though he was flushing under his beard clearly, Obi-Wan rubbed his thumb over Anakin’s knuckles. “The… gifts you gave me. The necklace was more to my aesthetic but the earring was more ostentatious, how did you know I would accept it?” He peered at him.

“Because I asked you to, because its protection. You’d wear it for those two reasons but mostly because I asked.” Anakin shrugged, that was a really uncomplicated question in his eyes.

It made Obi-Wan’s lips twist wryly.

“Will you be applying for the trials now?” He finally asked.

Hesitating, Anakin frowned and looked down at their hands.

There were so many reasons for and against and he knew that Mace would keep his secret from the council amazingly enough though Anakin was fairly certain a few of them suspected something.

If he became a knight… this could happen, his hand in Obi-Wan’s, warmth and togetherness.

But when he was a knight, there would be a separation period, away from Obi-Wan and that was something he didn’t thi-

A brush against his mind interrupted the furious flow of thoughts, Obi-Wan’s mind reaching for his and Anakin’s lips quirked. It wouldn’t be true separation.

Not with the bond like this.

Slowly he looked up and nodded. “If you ask the council, yes. If you think I’m ready.” He said quietly.

A slow, mischivious smile crossed Obi-Wan’s lips as he lifted their hands to his lips. “I’m quite ready to have a knight of my own. Yes, quite ready.” Obi-Wan winked at him, his tone a breezy lightness.

It took Anakin a moment to get and then he pounced, pushing the older man (or the same age?) into the couch to snog him silly, Obi-Wan laughing into the kiss with joy suffusing the Force.


	29. Can not predict

“I don’t think I can predict the flow of time anymore.” Anakin said quietly.

There was a shift, a click and then a deep hum. “I wouldn’t expect you to,” Mace stepped in with a pot of caff in hand and two mugs. “You’ve done so many changes that the flow of time is going to be drastically different from what you remember so the only thing we can really plan for now is the Sith in the Senate.” He set down the cups on his glass table and patted the other on the shoulder.

Anakin smiled wryly and watched the other pour caff.

Anakin rolled his shoulders. “You’re still a bastard you know but you’re good to talk to,” He chuckled quietly. “Like just an uber bastard regardless how good logical you are.”

Mace snorted and sat down, taking his own cup. “I’m a council member, I have to be a bastard. My decisions do not just impact _me_ but the Order at large.” He said dryly before saving a sip of dark caff with a sigh of pleasure.

Smirking a bit, Anakin nodded in understanding and picked up his cup, cradling it a bit. “…I like your couch, what kind of leather is it?” He asked curiously.

“Bantha, dyed bantha leather to be more correct. It was a gift from my master when I became a knight,” Mace hummed before side eyeing Anakin. “But I highly doubt you came here to ask about my couch, call me a bastard maybe but not the couch, so, what’s going on?”

Fiddling a bit with the cup, Anakin let out a deep sigh. “Obi-Wan is asking if I am going to be a knight and skill wise I could manage most of the trials but I’m not sure its wise. I mean alignment I-”

A dark hand covered his shoulder and Anakin looked up warily, meeting the others dark eyes.

“Alignment wise you are no darker than I am Anakin Skywalker and I passed my trials,” Mace said calmly. “I do believe you will pass yours with flying colors for you have already confronted the things you fear, the loss of those around you. Maybe the test will be cruel for you, I am uncertain how the chamber judges but you are ready or I’ll eat my karking boots.” He pulled his hand away to sip.

Blinking at the man, Anakin took his own sip quickly, trying to absorb the fact that Mace Windu thought he’d pass even if he may have some difficulties.

“If it means anything at all,” Mace suddenly said with quiet intent. “I believe in you.” He smiled at him, a wry, warm thing directed at Anakin.

‘I’ve entered an alternative reality.’ Anakin thought to himself, eyes wide before he set down the cup quickly and put his forehead to his knees, wheezing a bit as he tried to expel the shock that was firmly pounding against his temples.

Obi-Wan’s bond flared to life and the man reached out in concern only for Anakin to bat the other away with assurance that he was fine, just surprised.

It was only reluctantly Obi-Wan did pull away with the understanding that if it was important that Anakin would tell him.

Raising his head a bit, Anakin stared at the Korun. “…You think I should take the trials.” He stated, watching Mace nod calmly and take a sip of his own.

“Yes, I do firmly believe you should and that you will pass.” Mace murmured as Anakin sat up.

“…Well Kark me.” Anakin muttered, taking a sip of his caff.

“I’d rather not, I don’t think Kenobi is the sharing kind even if he’s not the jealous type.” Mace smirked at him.

Wrinkling his nose, Anakin stuck his tongue out at the man before taking a big sip of caff.

It was good caff, why waste it.


	30. Fireworks before the fire

Greeting Tru with a delighted yell, Anakin threw the last dart at the board and groaned as he missed the target once more and had to take yet another shot of alcohol with Obi-Wan hooting at him in amusement somewhere over by master Siri and Bant, both whom were enjoying their own beers while Obi-Wan had snagged a cocktail.

“Congratulation friend!” Tru threw his arms around the knighted blonde, the Tatooine native beaming in joy as he hugged Tru in return while trying to shift the alcohol through his system like how Obi-Wan had taught him oh so long ago.

“Heh, thank you!” Anakin slurred out, laughing as he was lead away for the next team of players to ‘combat’ each other in darts with Garret giving Anakin a jaunty wave and strutting over to the buffet table, his dart victory over the new knight clearly a feather in his hat.

Moving with Tru to settle down on a couch, Anakin tried to remember if anyone had a knighting celebration like the one he was currently having but for the life of him he could not remember. Maybe they just didn’t have them when the war started and Obi-Wan kept trying to be a good example and therefor didn’t expose Anakin to this?

So far no one had seemed surprised though at the celebration and Anakin had seen several traditional masters in attendance.

Maybe Anakin just hadn’t been invited before?

Admittedly once the war started there wasn’t time for it and he was one of the first of his age mates to become a knight in his early twenties, being even earlier now.

Yet Anakin could never remember so many relaxed Jedi in one room before even if it was one of the greater salle rooms.

“You look surprised.” Tru noted, peering at Anakin as he snatched a bowl of yam snacks off the table.

“Just didn’t figure a knighting party would be like this,” He shrugged a bit while white lying, blinking at Tru in return before waving at Darra as she dragged Ferus past them. “I mean, there’s a lot of alcohol and relaxed people here.”

Tru stared at him as if he had lost his mind before suddenly making an understanding noise, his fellow near human rubbing his chin while glancing towards Obi-Wan with the bowl settled on his lap for now. “That’s right, you wouldn’t… and knight Kenobi…”

Raising annoyed brows, feeling more sober, Anakin glared at bit at Tru for the none explaining answers.

Lifting both hands while balancing the bowl on his legs, Tru grimaced. “Look, your master became a knight on the coattails of his own master’s death. Of course he’s not going to go to a party and most of his friends were already knights when he became one so you wouldn’t have seen that.” The other Jedi pointed out sensibly.

Frowning a bit, Anakin glanced towards Obi-Wan and than back at Tru. “Yeah… you’re right there.” He reluctantly admitted

“Yeah.” Tru picked up a handful of chips and waved his fist a bit. “Plus, he had to raise you, teach you temple protocol and meditation and all the things we already knew,” He gestured to himself with the first before chewing on the fistful of yams he had, prompting Anakin to snatch a fistful for himself. “That means there was a lot of things he wouldn’t have shown you because you guys were always so busy, not to mention when you were cleared to leave the temple for missions, you’re really not going to see what happens in the party scene of the Jedi temple then.” The dark haired padawan grinned.

Contemplating that information, Anakin nodded in understanding before looking towards Obi-Wan as he felt a warmth in his chest glowing.

Just as expected, Obi-Wan was looking at him, smiling proudly and when he was sure he had Anakin’s eyes, the redhead tipped his glass at Anakin in a salute.

Grinning, cheeks burning warmly, Anakin dropped against Tru’s side only to fall off the couch since Tru wasn’t prepared for the additional weight, yams, a fresh knight and a padawan falling to the floor in loud yelps to the amusement of everyone else and Anakin was sure he could hear Mace hooting somewhere in the crowd.

That utter bastard he thought fondly to himself even as Tru complained about spilled snacks while laying tangled on the floor.


	31. It means yes

Chuckling warmly as he supported Anakin towards their quarters, Obi-Wan tightened his grasp around the others waist as Anakin nuzzled at his hair and gripped the master’s shoulder. “Focus Anakin, going to our quarters.” He said affectionately as the other stumbled tipsily along beside him.

Almost giving a little skip in delight, Anakin beamed down at him. “I can’t help it. Happy.” He hiccuped as he tried to filter the massive amount of alcohol that had gone into his system. Honestly he was starting to suspect he was filtering it a bit wrong…

“You need to drink water while filtering it Anakin.” Came the teasing voice beside him as Obi-Wan stopped to open their door and Anakin let out an understanding hum as he peered blearily into the dark quarters.

“Light fifty percent.” He burped out as he was shuffled in by Obi-Wan.

Who was still laughing!

Beaming down at him again as Obi-Wan guided him towards the kitchen, Anakin took his chance to steal a soft cheek kiss, feeling the tickle of Obi-Wan’s beard on his own smooth cheeks. “You’re so lovely when you laugh.” He purred before yelping as he was deposited into a chair.

“And you are tipsy off your feet.” Obi-Wan teased in return before moving to the sink and getting one of the large glasses they owned, filling it up with water that he handed to Anakin. “Now drink this and filter out the alcohol dear one.” The stewjoni smiled softly at him.

Giving a little salute, Anakin started to chug water though slowed down after two big chugs as he did not want to give himself a water belly. Instead he observed his master over the rim of the glass as he drank, watching Obi-Wan put together two sandwiches with cheese and taun-taun meat.

Noticing he was being watched, Obi-Wan sent him a warm smile. “After the amount we both drank tonight we should really eat, or we will be going to bed with a rising intoxication in our blood.” He explained.

Setting down the now half empty glass, Anakin wiped the back of his mouth with his sleeve as he nodded. “Yeah, I remember you saying that before.” He grinned. “Thank you for making food for me.”

Smiling a bit softer, his ears pinking, Obi-Wan shrugged. “You may no longer be my padawan but you will always be my Anakin.” He said quietly as he came over with the plates of food, setting down one in front of Anakin.

Feeling himself sobering, the fresh knight caught the others wrist, peering up at him. “…I’m a knight now.” He murmured.

Peering back, Obi-Wan gave a mute nod.

Tugging a bit on Obi-Wan’s wrist until the other sat down in his lap, Anakin rubbed the beating pulse of the wrist with his fingers. “Does that mean I can finally call you my boyfriend?” He asked quietly, hoping to Force he was not slurring.

He felt breathless with anticipation as Obi-Wan peered at him, the earring catching the light of the kitchen.

A slow, warm smile crossed Obi-Wan’s lips before he cupped Anakin’s cheeks and leaned in, pressing their lips together.

It was soft, Obi-Wan testing out their fit as he lightly licked at Anakin’s lips with a lush tongue but before Anakin could really respond the other pulled back. “What do you think?” He purred teasingly.

Blinking at him, Anakin let out a little growl in return and dragged Obi-Wan back, delighting in the answer.

Because it meant yes.

Obi-Wan was his now and there was not a damn thing Sidious could do about it.

His Obi-Wan.


	32. Informant

Rubbing his face wearily, Anakin glanced up at Mace as the man continued pouring caff and fill the plates with snacks he had prepared for their little go through session. “I did try you know.” He murmured.

“What?” The master turned to him, confused before gaining an annoyed look on his face. “Skywalker, I’m not a mind reader, what are you on abou-” He fell silent when Anakin held up one of the folders, staring at it before sighing. “He did this before.” Mace stated flatly, a sense of sadness well hidden in the tone.

Nodding mutely, Anakin went back to staring at the folder and the flatpic of Yan Dooku staring back at him.

He promised he had tried his best to make sure the other stayed in the Order or at least remained on good terms with Ob-Wan but even that wasn’t enough.

‘Maybe I should have expected this honestly, there was a lot of things going on really that I had no idea about and he’s an older man with a lot of ingrained habits.’ Anakin mused while staring down at the image of Dooku.

At least Sifo-Dyas was alive and doing well even if he apparently had a mental breakdown which had him confined to the Halls.

It gave him a somewhat horrifying indication to what could happen to Obi-Wan if he didn’t keep a strong mental space for his own visions since apparently this was not the first time a Jedi prone to Force visions had gone a bit off-handle.

‘He didn’t go crazy in all those days of the clone wars last time, we just need to keep supporting him and making sure he looks after himself,’ Anakin assured to him as his stomach warmed at the thought of his boyfriend. ‘But right now Obi-Wan is not the focus on my thoughts.’ He tried to put his boyfriend aside.

Tried.

He spent like eighty percent of his time thinking about Obi-Wan in some manner heh.

No, seriousness now, Sidious, Dooku and what came from all of that. “The troopers are at least safe, I hear they’re petitioning for entrance to the Republic and a Senate position.” He offered up.

Mace came over with a tray with plates and cups on. “Yes, one of them by the name Cody is apparently showing quite a bit of verbal skill to the point where he’s talking a few senators into tongue ties.” He chuckled warmly while handing over a cup of caff.

Blinking, Anakin couldn’t help but smile.

So Cody was jockeying for a Senator position.

Good, if this Cody was anything like the last one then he would protect his vode to the last and ensure their rights.

‘And if all else failed, he’d covertly beat their heads in hehehe.’ Vader hid a vicious smile into the cup before taking a deep breath through his nose and letting it out through his mouth as Mace watched, calming down once more and letting go of the dark.

“You’re getting better at letting go of the dark,” Mace murmured quietly while picking up one of the folders. “Its quite impressive, quite a few of the council members keep mentioning it and how once you’re scheduled for teaching rotation we should have you do a class on the dark side and how to overcome it with meditation practice.” He smirked.

Snorting a bit, Anakin fiddled with his cup as he rested Dooku’s folder on his lap. “Hands on practice almost daily but thank you, its… nice to hear.” He smiled at Mace before breathing out and taking a big sip. “Now, if we want to get through this and compare what information the council has to my memories, I really should get started.” He said seriously as he eyed the stacks Mace had asked him to go through of the collected evidence against Sheev Palpatine that would get the man convicted.

Mace made a hand motion, a get on with it, wave as he sat back to slowly drink his caff so Anakin could read in peace. “I’m willing to take anything you got so we can investigate it, since you’re not sure you can predict anything anymore, we will have to investigate any information you remember that we have not already gotten a clue on.” He said seriously and Anakin nodded before opening the folder.

Who knew that Anakin Skywalker would one day turn out to be Mace Windu’s secret informant.


	33. Can do it

“Where are they sending you? Can you tell me or is it an covert mission?” Obi-Wan questioned quietly as he stood in the doorway watching Anakin pack.

It hadn’t felt right to move out when he was knighted so Anakin had kept his little padawan room and shared his space with his boyfriend still and Anakin was just a tiny bit embarrassed to the knowing looks or in some places rolled eyes of the council when he had said he didn’t need to look for new quarters.

Seemed it had been an open secret after all how Anakin felt about Obi-Wan.

Amazing no one had questions about decency though to be fair, Obi-Wan had looked oblivious to it until Anakin was an adult so maybe that was the case of it with everyone but Obi-Wan having been blind to his padawan’s affection.

Letting out a hum at the question, Anakin shot him a sunny smile. “I can tell you, they’re not about to trust me with something secret just yet. They’re sending me to Bardotta, apparently there’s been a sleeve of murders and the local authorities suspect a Force user to be the culprit with what evidence is left on the bodies.” Anakin answered happily as he tucked in another spare set of leggings as he was not certain how long the mission would be.

That got him a low hum of understanding.

Not that strange a mission clearly and Anakin felt some relief in his bone to know that the council was giving him standard set missions though he hoped he would not fail it. Who honestly knew, not every mission was a success or it could be it and yet feel like failu-

Obi-Wan grasped his hands, standing at his side by the bed.

When had Obi-Wan moved?

Anakin was usually so very aware of the other that Obi-Wan would have to ask him to stop monitoring him most of the time or the earring gave Obi-Wan away but this time Obi-Wan had pretty much snuck up on him and he sent the other a questioning look.

Squeezing his hands, Obi-Wan smiled at him. “You’ll be careful right?” He asked quietly.

Lacing their fingers and bringing Obi-Wan’s hands up, Anakin pressed a kiss to the warm skin as he heard the what was behind the one Obi-Wan had voiced, words Obi-Wan would never verbalize.

‘Don’t leave me alone, not like so many others. Don’t abandon me.’

“As careful as I can,” Anakin murmured against the skin before leaning in and pressing his lips to Obi-Wan’s in a chaste kiss, the others beard tickling his skin as always. He couldn’t really promise to not be hurt, couldn’t even promise to return though he was going to do his best. “I’ll bring you something nice from Bardotta, they make beautiful art and music.” The knight smiled.

Letting out a hum, standing on his toes a bit to press another kiss to Anakin’s lips. “Just bring yourself back, that be nice enough for me.” Obi-Wan said with soft warmth that had Anakin pull him into his arms and hug him tightly.

“Comm me if they send you out before I come home?” He asked, nosing lightly at the others hair.

Nodding into Anakin’s shoulder, Obi-Wan tightened the hug for a few seconds before letting out a deep breath and stepping back, brushing his tunic straight. “Well I’ll let you get back to packing. I need to get my mission report done regardless so…” He dithered, reluctant to leave clearly but finally Obi-Wan turned and went to the caff table.

Letting out a deep breath through his nose, Anakin rubbed his hands over his face.

Force he hoped he could do this.

Separation from Obi-Wan was making him anxious but there was nothing to be done for that.

He was Jedi, he had duty and so did Obi-Wan.

‘…I’ll steal another kiss before I leave and comm him everyday if I can,’ Anakin nodded firmly before hesitating. ‘And maybe steal one of his tunics for the smell… kark, okay, I can do this. I can do this.’ He turned back to finish packing, taking deep, even breaths while sending his anxieties out into the Force.


	34. A nasty feeling

Frowning slightly as he read over the mission doc once more, Obi-Wan leaned back in his seat a bit before glancing at the gathered council members. “So this is a black ops mission I am to understand?” He asked quietly while looking between them.

Shaak nodded but her face was tight, obviously disapproving and Mace was drumming his fingernails on the recliner arm.

“…You don’t approve.” Obi-Wan stated, sitting back in his chair. Well this did explain why they were in his quarters and not up in the chamber with the full council if the council themselves did not approve of the mission.

“It is dangerous,” Plo stated, his claws folded with a deep furrow between his brows. “And something about this mission does not feel right, however you are the one best suited for it considering your knowledge about slavery culture, bounty hunters not to mention your huttese and mando’a. You could easily slip in as a bounty hunter into this black ops slavery station that is suspected to exist so close to the Republic and yet…” He trailed off.

It wasn’t hard for Obi-Wan to see what he meant however as he glanced down at the pad, going over the information they had once more while blocking out his emotions to just focus on the stiff details with an analytical mind and yet…

Something didn’t feel right and for a moment Obi-Wan wished that Anakin was in the temple and he could speak with him, run some of the information by the other since the time traveler had an uncanny manner of figuring things out even when they hadn’t happened in his original timeline.

Maybe it was his high midichlorian count or maybe it was his connection to both the dark and the light side of the Force giving him more aid than a simple Jedi would receive.

He traded a worried glance with Mace, both wondering if the Sith master at the Senate was behind this mission, spearheading it from the dark via his helpers but if the information was even half right then they needed to find this station if it really was close to Republic space.

Such a station could make raids on Ryloth and other Republican planets much to easy and would destroy the faith the mid-rim planets had in the Republic even more than was already happening should it suddenly become known and the information that the Senate was aware of it and did nothing.

Nodding slowly, Obi-Wan let out a deep breath as he came to a decision that made his blood curdle with ice and fear that he stamped tightly on and controlled, what was there to fear, he was safe in the Jedi temple for now and there would be safeguards in place. “Alright, I’ll do it. This is just an information gather I’m doing right?” He looked at the council members, internally wondering what kind of ship he would be granted for the undercover run and what kind of equipment.

It wasn’t the first undercover mission Obi-Wan had done and hopefully it would not be his last as he knew the quartermasters kept a little of everything under the suns to equip people for different roles or buy in the need for it.

This was to be an information gathering simply.

Everyone nodded even as they looked like they’d rather say no, to keep Obi-Wan from going, to keep anyone from leaving on this mission that ticked all the boxes of a justified mission and yet made all of them wary without being able to explain the why. “Home you will come Obi-Wan, daily messages you must send.” Yoda warned him seriously, even the grandmaster on edge.

“If you miss out on more than three messages, a rescue team will be sent to your last known location,” Jocasta piped in, her eyes serious and a deep frown of unease on her face.

Reaching up, Obi-Wan played with his earring and then nodded slowly with a deep breath escaping him. “Alright, when do I leave?” He looked back to them while sending a mental whisper out to Anakin, apologizing for not telling him or being at home to meet him when he returned.

But a Jedi’s duty came first.

()()()

Thumping down the ramp heavily, Anakin rubbed his hand over his face as he tiredly wondered if he could crawl into Obi-Wan’s bed or if he needed to shower first. The mission had been grueling and he was so happy to be home and couldn’t wait to have dinner with Obi-Wan or just a karking cup of tea.

Then he paused briefly in the hanger with all the mechanics and droids around him because Anakin had been deeply tied to Obi-Wan for so many years now he instinctively knew where the man was as long as they were on the same planet and could reach him with little to no issue, especially with how he had used some magic to protect the other.

He couldn’t feel Obi-Wan however, even when he stretched out to feel the other man.

That meant that Obi-Wan was either not on Coruscant or didn’t have access to the Force.

‘He may be on a mission?’ Anakin hurried towards the elevator, suddenly feeling a rush of energy through his body as he reached for his comm to call up Mace.

But for some reason his heart was starting to speed up and Anakin didn’t like the curdling in his stomach.

“Skywalker? You’re already back?” The thinny voice of Mace came over the comm, surprised but pleased and new alarm bells rung off in Anakin’s brain at his tone. “If we had known you’d be arriving this soon, we would have held off on Obi-Wan’s mission so he would have had company.” The council master continued.

“Mission? What mission?” Anakin asked in alarm.

Mace answer had Anakin’s stomach falling even as he felt the violent urge to throw up all of his ration bars. “Mace, that’s a trap. You’ve sent Obi-Wan out into a trap!”


End file.
